Bill Passed In Michigan House Allows Religious Counseling Students To Deny Gay Client

Re: Bill Passed In Michigan House Allows Religious Counseling Students To Deny Gay Cl

My head hurts at the stupidity of the Michigan House...it's not "freedom of conscience" it's "freedom of stupidity and closed-minded hatred"

 

Re: Bill Passed In Michigan House Allows Religious Counseling Students To Deny Gay Cl

So, let me see if I understand this correctly...

Under this law if Julea Ward came to me with an issue in which she needed desperate and immediate counseling, and I was a counselor at a Public University, I could say to her the following: "There is no way in hell I'm helping you. You're a bigot, and bigotry is an affront to my moral beliefs. Thinking about committing suicide you say? Then don't forget the razor blade goes down the road and not across the street, honey. Now get the fuck out of my office, you twisted bitch, and do the world a favor."

After wishing her well, I'd be perfectly within my legal rights to deny her counseling services due to her beliefs being an affront to my own? Even in cases in which immediate help is needed, say - for example - if she were suicidal?

Somehow, I don't think they had my intentions in mind when they passed this bill. :dry:

"Oh no. The Gays are using our own laws against us! We meant to discriminate against THEM not for them to discriminate against US! Not fair!"

 

Re: Bill Passed In Michigan House Allows Religious Counseling Students To Deny Gay Cl

^ LOVE THIS! hehe.

 

Re: Bill Passed In Michigan House Allows Religious Counseling Students To Deny Gay Cl

I am ok with this. Its not like these schools only have one counsler available. Christian counslers couldn't be expected to give good advice on topics that conflict with their religion anyway. Doesn't mean they can't be helpful to other people on other subjects though.

 

Re: Bill Passed In Michigan House Allows Religious Counseling Students To Deny Gay Cl

The issue I have with this is the intent. If the school or a major psychological association determined that it wasn't in the best interest of patients to visit a counselor who held bigoted views (because those views taint their work), then that's one thing. They could strongly recommend that counselors that hold deeply religious views to recuse themselves from the patient, in the same way a Judge is supposed to recuse himself from a case in which he's unable to escape his own personal bias.

My issue is the intent behind this law is to PURPOSEFULLY discriminate against LGBT people. They can't say that outright, and must apply it broadly. Otherwise it'd be overturned in court. That's why I was mocking it in my previous post.

It's the intent behind it that makes me sick.

 

Re: Bill Passed In Michigan House Allows Religious Counseling Students To Deny Gay Cl

Ah, Michigan. Still protecting the rights of heterosexual religious people (because that's clearly how it always works out) throughout the state, I see. Sometimes I miss you so.

</sarcasm>

I would echo you, Aldrick, but I'm just so jaded about my home state that I don't know if I have it in me anymore. :icon_sad:

 

Re: Bill Passed In Michigan House Allows Religious Counseling Students To Deny Gay Cl

Don't feel bad. I live in Virginia, and the commonwealth makes the bigotry of Michigan look almost 1980's in comparison. They don't even bother to hide it here. They just denied an openly gay prosecutor - that was highly recommended by everyone - the right to be a Judge based simply on the fact that he was gay. And they said that was the reason. Openly.

And we're not even talking about a high ranking judge here, we're talking about a guy who would have mostly dealt with traffic court cases. Because, you know, apparently being gay makes you unqualified to tell if someone ran a red light. "You know, red, orange, and green are all part of the rainbow flag. So I'm gonna give EVERYBODY a pass!"

So, yeah. Michigan is still ahead of good 'ole Virginia.