Tennessee GOP Pushing Orwellian Gay Segregation Bill
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Apparently, the latest craze in state legislatures are bills that supposedly prevent discrimination and breed tolerance of others’ views — by boldly and unconstitutionally discriminating against gay people. In short, states are now trying to print licenses to discriminate. Piers Morgan recently described one state’s bill as gay apartheid.
Yesterday, we told you about a Kansas bill that’s already passed the House and is on its way to the Republican-controlled Senate, and the Sunflower State’s virulently anti-gay Republican governor. That bill, clearly an example of anti-gay segregation, would allow anyone to refuse service of any kind to anyone else if they felt serving that person would somehow violate their religious beliefs. To grasp the enormity of this legislation, you should know the bill would allow everyone, from your doctor to your gardner to your children’s teachers to refuse to do perform their job for you. If you’re gay in Kansas, and you want a loan, a latte, or a lift to the train, you could be outta luck.
And two days ago, we reported on an Idaho Republican’s bill that would similarly “protect” the licenses of everyone, from doctors, nurses, and midwives, to athlete agents, cosmetologists, morticians, and social workers — anyone licensed by the state — from losing their occupational license if they refuse to do their job in service to a gay person, if doing so violates their religious beliefs.
Today, let’s talk about a far-reaching, drastic segregationist bill in the great state of Tennessee.
The text of Senate Bill 2566 (PDF) reads like a George Orwell novel.
The bill states that “protecting the free exercise of religion is a government interest of the highest order,” and “laws that protect the free exercise of religious beliefs regarding marriage will encourage private citizens and institutions to demonstrate tolerance of others’ beliefs.”
According to Republican state Sen. Brian Kelsey — the original sponsor who rightly withdrew his sponsorship after news got out about the bill — and Republican state Sen. Mike Bell — who picked up where Kelsey’s conscience, or lack of conviction, intervened — SB 2566 will actually make Tennessee a more tolerant society by allowing anti-gay bigots to feel comfortable in their anti-gay bigotry.
Really?
Of course, the legislation, which, in Tennessee could easily pass, is wildly unconstitutional — here’s the portion of the bill that’s the most-offensive:
No person or religious or denominational organization shall be required to perform any of the following actions related to, or related to the celebration of, any civil union, domestic partnership, or marriage not recognized by this state, if doing so would violate the sincerely held religious beliefs of the person or religious or denominational organization regarding sex or gender:
(A) Provide any services, accommodations, advantages, facilities, goods, or privileges;
(B) Provide counseling, adoption, foster care, or other social services;
(C) Provide employment or employment benefits; or
(D) Solemnize a civil union, domestic partnership, or marriage not recognized by this state.
This applies not only people who are in a same-sex marriage, but to anyone who is LGBT.
And it means anyone can refuse to perform any service or refuse to sell you anything, because you’re LGBT.
So, from Kansas to Idaho to Tennessee — there are more on the way, stay tuned — if you’re gay, and especially if you’re in a same-sex marriage or relationship, good luck getting your trash picked up, your oil changed, your driver’s license renewed, an anniversary cake or flowers on Valentine’s Day, your children properly taught, a doctor to treat you, a “room at the inn,” or just about anything else that a “religious” person doesn’t feel like doing, in the name of God.
The real question may very well be not how these unconstitutional bills will affect LGBT people, but how these so called “religious” people will be received upon their judgment day.
Hat tip: The Raw Story
Image via the National Organization For Marriage on Facebook
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The House Ethics Committee has reportedly announced that U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) is facing a review by the Office of Congressional Conduct.
The origin of the review was not been disclosed. Under committee rules, officials are prohibited from stating whether the matter constitutes a formal investigation or identifying its underlying cause. The Committee only stated that there is a “matter regarding Representative Nancy Mace.”
“The Committee notes that the mere fact of a referral or an extension, and the mandatory disclosure of such an extension and the name of the subject of the matter, does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred, or reflect any judgment on behalf of the Committee,” the Ethics Committee statement reads. It was posted to social media by congressional journalist Jamie Dupree.
The statement also says the committee will “announce its course of action in this matter on or before March 2, 2026.”
Congresswoman Mace is currently running for governor of South Carolina.
Earlier this month Mace warned that Republicans may lose control of the House, saying they have not “done enough” and could “do a lot more” to implement President Donald Trump’s agenda, The Hill reported.
Image via Shutterstock
A prominent Republican lawmaker is vowing to thwart any attempt by President Donald Trump to acquire Greenland through force or financial means.
Speaking from Copenhagen as part of a bipartisan delegation of U.S. congressional lawmakers, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), told reporters it is “an important message for the people of the Kingdom of Denmark to understand” that the United States has “three separate but equal branches” of government.
Reminding them that under the U.S. Constitution it is Congress that controls spending, Senator Murkowski, who has broken ranks and stood up to President Trump at times, said, “In Congress, we have tools at our disposal under our constitutional authority that speaks specifically to the power of the purse through appropriations.”
She noted also that “Congress has a role. Certainly, when it comes to spending authorities, the Congress has a role in basically helping to facilitate the message that comes from our constituents, to be reflected in whether it’s legislation or appropriations, or actions or measures, that can indicate, again, the will of the Congress.”
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The “vast majority” of Americans do not support the acquisition of Greenland, Senator Murkowski added, noting that “some 75 percent will say we do not think that that is a good idea.”
“Greenland needs to be viewed as our ally, not as an asset,” Murkowski also told reporters.
Politico reported that U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) “also took part in the visit by House and Senate lawmakers,” and “said he would push ahead with legislation to curb Trump’s power to act unilaterally.”
He also denied President Trump’s claims that Greenland is necessary to be owned by the U.S. for national security reasons.
“Are there real, pressing threats to the security of Greenland from China and Russia?” Coons said. “No, not today.”
Sen. Murkowski: “When you ask the American people whether or not they think it is a good idea for the United States to acquire Greenland, the vast majority, some 75%, will say, we do not think that that is a good idea. This senator from Alaska does not think it is a good idea.” pic.twitter.com/zfitY31LyF
— The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) January 16, 2026
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Image via Reuters
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Trump targeted Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats, claiming they “don’t know what to do” after he deployed roughly 3,000 federal troops to the city.
“In Minnesota,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, “the Troublemakers, Agitators, and Insurrectionists are, in many cases, highly paid professionals.”
“The Governor and Mayor don’t know what to do, they have totally lost control, and our currently being rendered, USELESS! If, and when, I am forced to act, it will be solved, QUICKLY and EFFECTIVELY!”
The Guardian labeled Trump’s claims that protesters are paid as baseless.
Attorney Aaron Reichlin-Melnick wrote: “Note that the Trump admin hasn’t yet been able to produce evidence of a SINGLE ‘paid protestor.’ They’ve had total control of the FBI and the DOJ and ICE HSI and yet despite all of that, they can’t even find ONE person who they can accuse of being paid to protest.”
Separately, The Steady State, a group of over 365 former national security officials, while not referring to Trump’s remarks from Friday morning, noted that the Insurrection Act is “an extraordinary power meant for true emergencies, not a shield for unconstitutional policing. Using it to silence dissent or justify unlawful paramilitary activity at the hand of ICE undermines the rule of law.”
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Image via Reuters
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