On Friday, the media lost its collective mind after Republicans killed a Democratic amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would have forced the federal government to withdraw funding from any contractor “discriminating” against LGBT people. Originally, the amendment drew a 217 to 206 “aye” vote – but after Republicans whipped the chamber, the amendment failed on a 212 to 213 vote. As The Hill reported, “GOP leaders held the vote open as they pressured members to change sides.” The amendment, sponsored by Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), who is gay, was intended to crack down on religious contractors as well as contractors who would not hire or fired employees who were gay or transgender; it was a direct counter to another amendment that would have protected religious companies from discrimination on the basis of religion.
The media’s constant insistence that the federal government must override religious objections to homosexuality and business objection to hiring the mentally ill is beyond irritating – it’s downright fascistic. It’s far more “discriminatory” to use the power of government to violate religious freedom than it is to allow private actors to contract with those they see fit. And leveraging federal dollars to back the scientific fiction that men can become women, and punishing companies that refuse to comply with that fiction – that’s “discrimination” too.
But the media ignore the issue entirely, instead stating that those who refuse to hire gays and lesbians – presumably including religious organizations – must be made to heel.
And that’s the way this will play in the press. Democrats are trying to “stop” discrimination by cracking down on companies that disagree with them on both religious and scientific grounds. Republicans are standing in favor of discrimination. Never mind that Democrats are using a defense bill to propagate the LGBT agenda. This is all about the cruelty of Republicans, as always.
This is why Republicans should have championed their original amendment to the bill, and forced Democrats to defend why they want to harm Christian companies operating according to Biblical principles, as well as businesses concerned if their male general manager shows up on Monday claiming to be a female. But Democrats are never forced to defend themselves.