Tuesday, June 16, 2020

'Honoring the heroes of Monday's SCOTUS decision' & other Wed midday news briefs

Anti-LGBTQ industry will speed up usage of religious beliefs as a discrimination weapon after SCOTUS loss


I don't think the anti-LGBTQ industry were prepared for their loss at SCOTUS on Monday. When we defeated the sodomy laws, they were already knee deep in constructing the narrative against marriage equality. When we won marriage equality, they had a ready-to-go narrative on how our right to marry would harm "religious liberty."

Monday's decision caught them by surprise. And they continue to sputter. From Family Research Council head Tony Perkins:

The question now is, where do we go from here? Let's start by putting the ruling in context. Will it mean a ferocious fight on religious liberty from here on out? Almost certainly -- but to be fair, any result would have done the same. LGBT activists weren't going to surrender to the justices' opinion and abandon their cause no matter what the court decided. Nor should we. A positive ruling might have kept some of the fiercest questions at bay -- and given faithful Americans some much needed relief -- but let's face it: the waves of extremism never stop. 
What about Gorsuch and President Trump? Can we trust them? While the Harris case has given Gorsuch fans cause for concern, we don't have to guess where this president stands. For three and a half years, his administration has taken every opportunity to protect religious freedom in executive orders, rules, and guidance that reaffirm the politically incorrect truth about sexual orientation and gender -- often at great political cost. Every agency from HHS, Defense, and Education to HUD, Agriculture, and Justice have stuck their necks out to roll back the radicalism of the president who first opened this Pandora's box. 
As for Trump's judicial nominees, voters have to ask themselves: would they rather have some uneasy feelings about one -- or know with certainty that every single pick is a died-in-the-wool liberal activist, like we would under Joe Biden? This is a single, devastating judgment in what has so far been a stellar couple of years for Trump's first Supreme Court pick. It may confirm concerns that some had about Gorsuch, but this should set the stage for the next nominee to be beyond reproach when it comes to the meaning of words and adherence to the constitutionally defined role of the court.

Right-wing media furious over SCOTUS pro-LGBTQ ruling' & other Tue midday news briefs