"Hate Crimes Begin Amid Christian Disapproval"

I pulled that title directly off the headline from a story on The Christian Post. Am I the only one who finds it troubline? Are Christian activist groups willing to be labeled "pro-hate" for opposing this bill primarily because it specifies protections for gender identity? Sadly, it appears some are.

"This is the most dangerous bill in America," said Janet Folger, president of Faith2Action – an organization that fights society’s “culture war,” in a statement.

More dangerous than ones that perpetuate our brave young men and women getting killed in Iraq? Talk about twisted priorities.

"We must stop it," Folger concluded, in a statement, "before they send your grandma, your pastor, or you to jail for sharing your faith or speaking the truth about an agenda that seeks to silence us."

Here's a different view, taking a tad more reasoned approached instead of the right-wing fear-mongering above:

"It punishes acts of discrimination, not bigoted beliefs," explained Caroline Fredrickson, director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Washington Legislative Office, in a statement. "This bill demonstrates that it's possible to vigorously pursue criminal civil rights violations without chilling our First Amendment rights."

Unfortunately, taking away people's ability to spew and encourage hatred could also infringe on the rights of someone like me to write this blog. However, there need to be consequences for bigoted and hatful actions, and I believe this legislation is an important step toward assuring that for GLBT people.