How Anti-LGBT Laws Foster a Culture of Exclusion That Harms
Feb 10, 2017 14:34:51 GMT
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Post by benson on Feb 10, 2017 14:34:51 GMT
How Anti-LGBT Laws Foster a Culture of Exclusion That Harms States’ Economic Prosperity
When it comes to “bathroom bills” and other legislation that curtails the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals, North Carolina was a first actor. But, if some lawmakers have their way, many states, and even the federal government, will quickly follow suit.
So far this year, 11 states have proposed legislation requiring people to use bathrooms in government buildings, public schools and public universities consistent with the sex assigned on their birth certificate. The issue is hardly new, and lawmakers in these and other states have proposed similar bills in the past. Only one, North Carolina, however, has managed to pass such a law, having done so in 2016.
Other states, like Wyoming, have proposed legislation that allows discrimination against the LGBT community on religious grounds. This bill also forbids government agencies from passing nondiscrimination bills or ordinances.
At the federal level, Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz recently announced that he would reintroduce the First Amendment Defense Act. This bill would prohibit the government from punishing business owners who discriminate against LGBT individuals based on their religious beliefs or moral convictions.
Despite the fervor surrounding these bills, there are a host of problems associated with them. To borrow from Chuck Smith, executive director of Equality Texas, discriminatory laws like these are “morally bankrupt and wrong.”
Beyond such moral objections, these bills also carry a host of economic, health and other consequences, as North Carolina has learned. Research in the area of regional economic development, and my own work with sport organizations, shows how laws such as these send a message of exclusion, drive away creative people and, ultimately, hurt workplace creativity and performance. As a result, long-term economic prosperity suffers.
goodmenproject.com/social-justice-2/how-anti-lgbt-laws-foster-a-culture-of-exclusion-that-harms-states-economic-prosperity-wcz/
When it comes to “bathroom bills” and other legislation that curtails the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals, North Carolina was a first actor. But, if some lawmakers have their way, many states, and even the federal government, will quickly follow suit.
So far this year, 11 states have proposed legislation requiring people to use bathrooms in government buildings, public schools and public universities consistent with the sex assigned on their birth certificate. The issue is hardly new, and lawmakers in these and other states have proposed similar bills in the past. Only one, North Carolina, however, has managed to pass such a law, having done so in 2016.
Other states, like Wyoming, have proposed legislation that allows discrimination against the LGBT community on religious grounds. This bill also forbids government agencies from passing nondiscrimination bills or ordinances.
At the federal level, Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz recently announced that he would reintroduce the First Amendment Defense Act. This bill would prohibit the government from punishing business owners who discriminate against LGBT individuals based on their religious beliefs or moral convictions.
Despite the fervor surrounding these bills, there are a host of problems associated with them. To borrow from Chuck Smith, executive director of Equality Texas, discriminatory laws like these are “morally bankrupt and wrong.”
Beyond such moral objections, these bills also carry a host of economic, health and other consequences, as North Carolina has learned. Research in the area of regional economic development, and my own work with sport organizations, shows how laws such as these send a message of exclusion, drive away creative people and, ultimately, hurt workplace creativity and performance. As a result, long-term economic prosperity suffers.
goodmenproject.com/social-justice-2/how-anti-lgbt-laws-foster-a-culture-of-exclusion-that-harms-states-economic-prosperity-wcz/