By Thomas Maxheimer
Bisexual Gov. Kate Brown leads Oregon lawmakers in fight against Trump
Governor Kate Brown (D-Oregon), the nation’s first openly gay governor, issued her own executive order insisting her state would not participate in President Donald Trump’s ban on refugees or any future Muslim registry he may propose. “I will uphold the civil and human rights of all who call Oregon home,” Brown said a statement.
Pence Dodges Question On Anti-LGBT “Religious Freedom” Order
The draft of an anti-LGBT+ order circulated in recent weeks. The order would have allowed businesses, nonprofits, and government employees to discriminate against anyone who offends their religious beliefs. While White House spokesman Sean Spicer said there are no plans for an order at this point, he also said many orders are in progress. Constitutional scholars have said it is beyond the president’s scope of power, but that does not stop religious activists from pushing for such an order. Trump is on record as saying he will sign a “First Amendment Defense Act”.
‘Clean’ HB2 Repeal Bill Introduced by NC Democrats
Democratic legislators in North Carolina brought a bill to repeal the the notorious HB2 anti-trans “bathroom bill” which has cost the state an estimated half a billion dollars. Democratic Governor Roy Cooper, elected last fall partially due to voter backlash against former governor Pat McCrory, has signaled his hope that the GOP-controlled NC Assembly will repeal the bill on a bipartisan basis.
Arkansas Republican Senator Jason Rapert filed a bill he hopes will lead to redefining marriage as a union between one man and one woman in the US Constitution. Rapert said he filed the bill because he’s acting on the will of the people of Arkansas. The bill calls for an amendment that would prohibit “any state from defining or construing the definition of ‘marriage’ to mean other than the union of one man and one woman.” Current polling by both Pew and Gallup indicated support for marriage equality in the US stands between 55-61%.
