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In a stunning distortion of the genesis and intent of Arizona‘s anti-gay “license to discriminate” bill, the sponsor of SB-1062 says it “has nothing to do” with anti-gay discrimination. State Senator Steve Yarbrough last night told CNN the “distortion” by the legislation’s opponents is “stunning,” as he tried to sell a whole cloth version of his bill.
Stunningly, just seconds before clamming his bill “has nothing to do” with anti-gay discrimination, Sen. Yarbrough tells CNN the bill was created in response to New Mexico’s Elaine Photography case.
The Elaine Photography case involved a lesbian couple who sued the photographer for refusing to take photos of their commitment ceremony. The New Mexico Supreme Court unanimously decided in the couple’s favor, based on a violation of the state’s anti-discrimination laws. Remember, New Mexico didn’t even have same-sex marriage at the time.
“The media has attempted to portray this as a bill to permit discrimination against gays,” Yarbrough tells CNN’s Randi Kaye. “Is it not?,” she asks.
“It is absolutely not,” Yarbrough wrongly — stunningly — claims. “It has nothing to do with it.”
If that were true, then why was the bill crafted in response to an anti-gay discrimination case?
Rep. Yarbrough’s twisting and manufacturing of the truth shows just how out of touch with reality, or how desperate he really is.
He even admits to CNN the bill is in response to “folks who were evangelical and folks who were gay,” but says, “but that’s not what the bill is about.”
Yarbrough even admits there has not been a single case of religious discrimination in his state. He then offers a hypothetical example where he sues three Jewish caterers because they won’t include pork products in the menu for an event he’s asking them to cater.
Did they refuse to cater his event? No.
Is denying to serve pork the same as denying to photograph a same-sex wedding?
No.
They are not denying to serve pork because Yarbrough is a Christian, whereas the photographer denied photographing a same-sex ceremony because it was a same-sex ceremony. Also, the Jewish caterers did not refuse to cater Yarbrough’s event.
If that’s Yarbrough’s best example, his bill should be vetoed and he should be prohibited from sponsoring any other legislation, because he just proved he doesn’t understand basic tenets of law or logic.
Watch:
http://edition.cnn.com/video/api/embed.html#/video/bestoftv/2014/02/25/ac-yarbrough-full.cnn