Republicans have long claimed to be defenders of freedom, but WTF? Banning books, free speech, and rainbows? And an entire group of people?
“Republicans have frequently cited the idea of freedom … to support arguments against gender-affirming policies,” The Hill noted on Tuesday, May 2, 2023 (see story here). Like so many other things, it’s the opposite of what they do.
But Mike Pence, who would like to be president (but won’t be), takes it to this level: “… make no mistake about it, the battle against radical gender ideology is a battle for religious freedom,” he said. This isn’t a new theme for him.
While Indiana governor, he signed a law to “allow businesses to turn away gay and lesbian customers in the name of ‘religious freedom,'” CNN reported then (here). His explanation was it prevented compelling people “to act in a way that violates your religious beliefs.” In other words, he wants government to let people who think God hates gays bully and mistreat them without interference.
Republicans mistakenly believe being gay or transgender is a behavior, not a biological phenomenon. (With people like them in our communities, who in their right mind would choose to be gay or trans?)
Republican Bible-thumpers go further; they argue America is a “Christian nation,” want to sweep aside separation of church and state and use the authority of government to impose their religious views on the rest of us; and they would ban LGBQT people from simply existing, or at least push them back into the closet.
Being trans is not a “radical gender ideology,” as Pence says, but his anti-LGBQT views can fairly be characterized as a radical political ideology — of the sort you find in places like Iran (where they throw gay men off rooftops) and Uganda (whose legislative body is debating the death penalty for being gay).
Here in America, Land of the Free for only some, Republicans claim a religious “right” to abuse against LGBQT people and interfere in their health care. There is no such right stated in the U.S. Constitution or the Christian Bible.
Moreover, their treatment of trans people is in opposition to Christian teaching, which is based on compassion, tolerance, and acceptance. As long as this goes on, I will not accept that Pence and others like him are Christians. Based on free speech principles, they can call themselves whatever they like, but saying black is white doesn’t make it white. I’m going to call them bigots and bullies, because that’s what they are.