In one of the most dangerous constitutional violations Liberty Institute has ever seen, the City of San Antonio is voting today on a so-called nondiscrimination protection for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals in a way that stifles free speech and tramples on religious liberty.
Although the ordinance has gone through revisions since first proposed, it remains a serious violation of Americans’ constitutional and statutory rights. This week, Liberty Institute sent a second letter to city officials in response to the revised ordinance.
In the letter, Liberty Institute’s president and CEO, Kelly Shackelford, states:
“Ultimately, in its present state, the Proposed Ordinance is a cloudy and confusing collection of poorly thought out and conflicting statements that could be much more clearly and cleanly handled by simply including a broad religious liberty exemption to protect the free speech and religious liberty rights of both individuals and organizations that have religious objections to the requirements mandated by the Proposed Ordinance.”
Liberty Institute attorneys warn it is unconstitutional for any government, including the San Antonio City Council, to prohibit the free exercise of religion and make it a “thought crime” to hold traditional biblical views on sexuality.
The Two Biggest Shocks
The biggest shock is that this proposed ordinance is expected to pass. But perhaps just as troubling is the fact that such discrimination is not merely the project of a “fringe” political faction.
That is because the driving force behind the law is San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro. Castro served as co-chair for the President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign and is considered to be a “rising star” in the Democratic Party. He is often compared to the president, and with the push for this divisive ordinance, it seems he shares the Obama administration’s hostility toward religious freedom.
Coming to Your Town?
“The ripple effect of this law could go far beyond San Antonio,” Shackelford says. “This is not something that just affects residents of San Antonio. This should alarm every American who values their religious freedom.”
Hostility toward religious freedom is increasing at an unprecedented rate, and based on the many cases we see across the country, an ordinance like this may be headed to your city very soon.
The good news is that Liberty Institute and its team of experienced constitutional attorneys are committed to stopping laws such as these. They believe this and similar ordinances can be defeated in court, and they intend to do so.
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