Marriage is only part of the battle for equality.

Michigan was in the news last week because of an auto repair shop owner who publicly has stated that gays were not allowed at his business.

This man is as bigoted and asinine as any person can be. Nonetheless, I must confess I snickered when after he said that homosexuality was wrong, he added:

“If you want to argue this fact with me then I will put your vehicle together with all bolts and no nuts and you can see how that works.”

But I digress.

If you live in Michigan, or know anyone who does, a stand needs to be taken today (Wednesday, April 22).

Today at 3 PM, the Senate Committee on Families, Seniors, and Human Services will be holding a hearing on three related bills that would allow adoption and foster care agencies to discriminate against prospective families for “religious reasons” (read: anti-gay reasons). The hearing will be held at the Lansing Farnum Building, 125 W. Allegan Street, in Room 210. More info can be found on this Facebook page.

Also, support the The Secular Coalition for Michigan. Here’s part of their statement about these intolerant bills:

Keep Discrimination out of Michigan’s Adoption Laws! HB 4188, 4189, and 4190 have moved out of the Michigan House and into the Michigan Senate. These bills would permit adoption agencies to refuse to place adoptive children with adoptive parents if the agency had religious objections. Adoption agencies could object to placing children in otherwise stable homes because the parents are unmarried, previously divorced, a same sex couple, or adherents to a religion not practiced by the child placing agency. Not only could this discrimination be state funded, but more importantly, it could endanger a child’s ability to be adopted according to his or her best interests.

I appreciate, and encourage, all the “Likes” on various social media sites. Nonetheless, feeling good about up-voting is not activism. Take a stand: like, share, be vocal, and be physically present.

Brother Richard

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