Last week, Indiana became the 20th state to enact a Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
The law, as described by those who support it, will prevent the government from infringing on people’s ability to exercise their religious beliefs. Those who oppose the law say it essentially allows business owners to legally discriminate against the LGBT community.
Although several cities have passed non-discrimination laws, there is currently no statewide non-discrimination law that protects gays and lesbians in terms of employment in Indiana. Critics worry about discrimination against the LGBT communities in areas without those laws.
There is no surprise that a law like this would create a great deal of shock. The staff of the Xavierite finds it difficult to understand how something this controversial and outrageous could pass.
Not only is Indiana losing the business and support of those offended by and concerned about this law, but they are also losing the support of other states. Perhaps what’s most odd about this issue is the lack of business owners standing in opposition to this law.
To be fair, certain business owners who are opposed to this recent piece of legislation have put signs and stickers in their windows alerting customers that they are not supporting the bill and will gladly accept any customer.
Clearly there was enough support from business owners for this law to be proposed, let alone pass. However, it seems like such a dodgy business move.
In a culture that is beginning to lean more favorably towards gay rights and has made substantial grounds in becoming friendlier to the LGBT+ community, it would appear to our staff that this is actually a pretty terrible business move.
First, it is the duty of any business to turn profit. Why would you care from whom the money comes from?
A religion may tell a person that their relationship beliefs must veer a certain way, but why should it matter whose money a business is accepting – so long as the money is legal tender?
Second, even if a business owner is opposed to taking care of customers in the LGBT+ community, why would you risk alienating people who are not in that community, who do conform to standards of a “straight” life, but still may feel strongly in favor of that community’s rights?
Tactics like this may provide “religious freedom” (in this case, it’s baffling to think that religious freedom can be threatened by a gay person wanting to buy something from a store owned by someone who is not of the same cultural view), but they are terrible business practices and, at the end of the day, can only lead to alienation and a lack of profits on behalf of the business that supports this legislation.
The right to freely practice the religion of your choice is an element of our nation that Americans rightfully take pride in. However, this law makes the protection of religious freedom look a lot like the protection of discrimination.
Regardless of whether or not your religion supports it, the discrimination of someone due to their sexual orientation or identity, race, gender or religion is not something that U.S. laws should support. There must be a better way.
The Xavierite Editorial Board
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