Invoking the 'G' word on equality
The drive to protect all Americans from discrimination is inexorable. What's in doubt is how long it will take before we all get there, and how many bumps, bruises and claims of being wronged we'll have to endure along the way.
On Thursday afternoon, members of Congress introduced the Equality Act, a federal initiative hailed by supporters as an anti-discrimination equalizer for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens, and for women in general. The legislation was immediately backed by some of our country's corporate powerhouses: Apple, Dow Chemical Co. and Levi Strauss & Co., to name a few.
While there are many parts to the Equality Act, one that will be most closely watched and hotly debated is its protection of religious exemptions that have been in place for the last half century.
Our nation increasingly accepts the LGBT community into mainstream Americanism. Gallup polls show that in 1996, only 27 percent of adults thought same-sex marriages should be legally valid. By 2015 that number had grown to 60 percent. Yet much of the opposition to same-sex marriage and LGBT protection then and now has come from religious quarters. If anything, it seems the divide between many congregations and LGBT supporters has only widened with progress on the anti-discrimination front.
We're not here today to debate the merits and weaknesses of the Equality Act but to offer a little perspective on one of our country's biggest shortcomings. It is simply this: A little grace can go a long way.
In the aftermath of the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage, respect and civility have suffered. And sometimes, it is no longer LGBT citizens in the consistent role of victim but, feeling empowered by the court decision, it is they who sometimes turn aggressive and retaliate against those they felt oppressed them. Grace goes both ways.
We're blessed with some religious leaders in our community who disagree with LGBT lifestyles but, as Christians, open their arms and hearts to everyone and do not impede civil rights progress. We're further blessed with religious organizations like the Episcopalian Church, which has long seen everyone as equal in the eyes of God and is unabashedly performing Christian same-sex marriages right now in North Idaho. Even so, anger and frustration are too often given license or encouragement to run wild, and people suffer - those on both sides of the LGBT fence.
Grace as we travel this unprecedented path together will go a long way in ensuring we all arrive safely and happily at the finish line.
Grace: simple elegance or refinement of movement; (in Christian belief) the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings.