Indiana’s Scott Schneider is pushing a religious “license to discriminate” bill, but it’s Schneider’s desire to impose his extremist views that are the real problem.
Indiana Republican state senator Scott Schneider is pushing an anti-gay bill cloaked as “religious liberty” legislation. Even proponents of these so-called religious freedom bills admit they rise from the ashes of same-sex marriage bans, and that’s exactly what’s happening in Indiana right now.
State Senator Scott Schneider is just the latest Republican to propose an anti-gay license to discriminate bill. These bills force the government to step aside if a person’s “deeply-held religious beliefs” mandate they act, or not act, in a certain manner.Â
“The freedom of conscience bill is really about limiting government’s ability to squelch freedom of religion, conscience or speech,” Micah Clark, director of the Indiana chapter of the anti-gay hate group American Family Association, told the Indy Star.
But that’s not really what they’re about.
Some religious liberty bills can be used by pharmacists to refuse to dispense needed, prescribed contraceptive medications. Or they can be used by state employees to refuse to officiate at same-sex weddings, or even to refuse to issue a license to wed to a same-sex couple.
They also can be used by private businesses to refuse to serve gay people.
Advocates of these bills often cite examples of Christian bakers or florists who refused to do business with same-sex couples as the reason these bills are needed. These so-called Christians claim the Bible mandates they not bake cakes or arrange flowers for a same-sex wedding.
But the U.S. Supreme Court in 1968 ruled unanimously that the Bible cannot be used to discriminate against Black people, so why can it be used to discriminate against gay people?
Sen. Schneider thinks it can.
But Senator Schneider, unbeknownst to most people, has an extremist background that one might think colors his legislation.
For starters, his mother is the president of the Indiana chapter of the Eagle Forum, a nationwide organization that has made statements that are anti-gay, anti-immigrant, racist, and misogynistic. It’s not surprising then that Sen. Schneider spoke at an Eagle Forum event last year, or that the Eagle Forum endorsed him and pushed his candidacy on social media.
Sen. Schneider’s own beliefs are extreme and antiquated.
Here he is with the virulently anti-gay Indiana Family Institute:
He pushed a bill that would require Indiana students to be taught that creationism has the same scientific validity as evolution.
An ardent advocate of school vouchers and privatization of education, Schneider is against Common Core. He also supported Richard Mourdock, the Republican U.S. Senate candidate who in 2012 claimed that children conceived in rape are “God intended.”
Here’s Sen. Schneider with the anti-choice extremist Catholic Father Frank Pavone:
In 2012 Schneider spoke at a Stand Up for Religious Freedom protest organized by Indianapolis Right to Life.
The Indy Star reports that “Schneider’s bill is likely to get serious consideration in the new General Assembly, which is more conservative than any in recent memory. Several moderate Republicans were knocked off by more conservative candidates in GOP primaries, and Republicans increased the size of their super-majorities in both chambers during the November general election.”
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Image of Sen. Schneider via Indiana Senate Republicans