"Over the past few years, nearly every time someone claims their freedom of religion is being violated, it involves being completely horrid to other people. This observation has some terrifying implications for the LGBT community, given where we are legally.
For example, refusing to provide wedding services to lesbian and gay couples has been the cause célèbre for years. The people doing the discriminating walk away with a cool half million dollars, and the queer people end up with nothing but a lot of death threats and hate mail. People are telling LGBT people "we don’t serve your kind" in other commercial areas as well. Doctors are refusing to treat children with gay parents. Restaurants are telling transgender customers they’re not welcome.
In most states, all of this is perfectly legal. We usually only hear about it when it happens in a state where it is against state law to discriminate on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. Despite the statistics on poverty, abuse, violence, unemployment, depression, suicide that dog the LGBT community, religious bigots roll around on the floor and scream about being the real oppressed whenever someone calls them out on their actions against LGBT people.
When it comes to LGBT people, the religious right believes that it’s not really discrimination or persecution unless LGBT people are being executed by the government. Both Ted Cruz and conservative political commentator Tomi Lahren have said on camera that LGBT people in the United States don’t have anything to complain about unless they’re being thrown off of buildings to their deaths. This also hints darkly that they believe the U.S. is merciful for being tolerant enough to choose not to do so.
But this is where it gets really scary…"
'Religious Freedom' Means Putting LGBT Americans Back in the Closet - The New Civil Rights Movement
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