Fox News' Todd Starnes is reporting on the law that would add "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" to the city's discrimination ordinance. Lawmakers say it's designed to protect homosexuals, transgenders and veterans.
“No person shall be appointed to a position if the city council finds that such person has, prior to such proposed appointment, engaged in discrimination or demonstrated a bias, by word or deed, against any person, group or organization on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, age or disability,” the ordinance reads.
While it might sound good on paper, in reality, it could be used against anyone who espouses a religious or traditional viewpoint, subjecting them to criminal penalties if they refuse to provide services that conflict with their religious beliefs.
“It’s extremely dangerous,” said Ken Klukowski, of the Family Research Council, to Fox. “This is a flagrant violation of the U.S. Constitution and the San Antonio City Council looks like a bunch of anti-Christian activists.”
In fact, he says, if the council approves the ordinance they would be guilty of “viewpoint discrimination.”
“If it’s passed, any person who has either expressed any belief in favor of traditional marriage or in terms of Judeo-Christian morality regarding sexuality in general, verbally or in writing, could be barred from participating in public life on that city council,” he explained.
Council Diego Bernal told the Express-News that he has been accused of including veterans in the new language to make it harder for council members to vote against the bill, making it look like they support discrimination against veterans.
He vehemently denied the allegation and insists that he did not include veterans to “be some sort of shoehorn or Trojan horse for another group.”
But that's only one of his problems. Dozens of churches are now organizing to oppose the legislation because it creates a religious test for involvement in city government and contracts.
“If it passes and you attend a church that opposes gay marriage, you could be disqualified from getting a city job,” said Steve Branson, the pastor of San Antonio’s Village Parkway Baptist Church, to Fox. “I would be disqualified from running for office. My church members couldn’t run for office if they held the same views I do.”
Branson told Fox News this proposal is nothing less than a crackdown on people who oppose homosexuality.
“I’m certain that’s it,” he said. “In the long run, we know this is an attack against people who think that homosexuality is wrong.”
Klukowski is hoping the city's attorneys will nix the proposed ordinance, but even if they do, the ordinance has already sent a chilling message to the religious community.
“This is a shameful form of anti-clergy bias,” he told Fox News. “It’s an appalling form of government discrimination against people of traditional religious faith in this country.”
The council plans to begin debating the issue on August 2.
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