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Last night, minutes after Governor Jan Brewer vetoed Arizona‘s anti-gay so-called “religious freedom” bill, MSNBC’s Chris Hayes called out the GOP for performing a bit of “tolerance theater.” Hayes says that if it is wrong to allow an individual or a business to discriminate against same-sex couples, how is is right to allow the government to?
Pointing to Republicans like Mitt Romney, John McCain, and Jeff Flake, who all urged Brewer to veto SB-1062, Hayes says their anti-gay positions are illogical.
Gregory T. Angelo, head of the Log Cabin Republicans was Hayes’ guest. Angelo, it’s important to point out, is a far cry from his predecessor. Angelo is more Tea Party/GOProud than Log Cabin. His main goal was to slam liberals and twist logic and history into making viewers believe that Jan Brewer’s veto was Reaganesque. Yes, Angelo would like you to believe that the faux hero of the Republican party, Ronald Reagan, was a staunch supporter of LGBT equality. Frankly, Angelo’s indignant performance was was an embarrassing piece of theater.
LOOK: Here’s Jan Brewer’s Letter Explaining Her Veto Of Anti-Gay Bill
Nevertheless, Hayes brings up a great point — it’s only logical for those who oppose SB-1062 to support LGBT equality — and we should run with it.
In the aftermath of killing SB-1062, also important is to ensure all the other SB-1062s out there — Kansas, Mississippi, and many other states have tried (and often failed) to pass similar legislation — die a quick death.
And we should work to eliminate the false dichotomy that to support LGBT equality you must oppose religious liberty. That lie from the radical right must die today.
We should also take this opportunity to ensure the authors of these bills — mostly religious right organizations, some say supported by Focus on the Family, the Alliance Defending Freedom, and other virulently anti-gay groups — are barred and ostracized from pushing more legislation in our state houses. And those who voted in favor of SB-1062 and similar bills nationwide must be held accountable, and no one should be allowed to get away with claiming they didn’t know what was in the bill — SB-1062 or any other anti-gay “religious freedom” legislation.
Finally, we should take yesterday’s double-win: the death of Arizona’s anti-gay hate bill, and the striking down of Texas’ ban on same-sex marriage as unconstitutional, and run with the momentum they offer, to continue the fight to eliminate anti-gay laws, bills, and attitudes across our nation.
Now, watch Hayes v. Angelo:
http://player.theplatform.com/p/2E2eJC/EmbeddedOffSite?guid=n_hayes_2log_140226