By Emily Ottinger | Associate editor, Illustrator, Photographer, Staff writer
The endless debate between gay rights and religious rights has hit a new high. In late February, a bill passed the Arizona House and Senate that would have allowed business owners to turn away gay or lesbian customers due to religious beliefs. After significant pressure from the business community and national companies such as Apple and American Airlines, Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed the bill on Feb. 26.
This proposed bill was not the only one in the nation. Similar bills have shown up in states like Mississippi, Kansas, Georgia, and Oklahoma.
Students at Indian Trail High School & Academy are well aware of the national events and recently weighed in on the issue, recognizing that unlike race and gender, sexual orientation has yet to be protected in the eyes of the laws here. Some students are appalled to hear that such bills were even brought up.
“ You know this is ridiculous, our predisposition towards sexuality is not a direct attack on your religion” said one Indian Trail senior.
Individual students also remember the struggle they went through even being able to come out and be accepted by friends and family.
“Knowing the emotional battle that I had to go through just to feel comfortable enough to tell my family that I was in love, I can’t imagine being publicly turned down by a stranger. It makes me sad to know that things like this are being considered. This isn’t an attack on gay rights. It’s an attack on humanity,” said an Indian Trail junior.
Although a number of students argue in favor of gay rights, others say they think business owners should have more say in who they serve at their establishments.
“I don’t think a homosexual should be turned away for being homosexual, but that the owner should be able to turn away the customer if they are requesting an agenda that they do not conform with,” said an Indian Trail senior.
For example, if a gay couple requests to stay at a bed and breakfast for their honeymoon, the owner should be able to turn them away if they are against gay marriage, he said.
Other students feel even stronger about the idea.
“If the gays make an owner feel uncomfortable, then they don’t have to serve them,” said another Indian Trail junior.
On one side people argue that business owners have the right to turn someone away, on the other side people believe that a true business owner shouldn’t care about the sexual orientation of a customer.
“I think that it would be unfair for a business owner to discriminate against the LGBTQ community, no matter what their views are on this. It’s about business and providing services to anyone and everyone,” said a 20 year old Kenosha citizen.
Where is the line drawn between religious rights and discrimination?
“It could divide Arizona in ways we cannot even imagine, and no one would ever want. Religious liberty is a core American and Arizona value. So is nondiscrimination,” said Brewer, R-Arizona, in her speech announcing she would veto the legislation.
(A press time, the Mississippi legislature had passed a similar religious freedom, anti-gay bill that the Mississippi governor had stated he was prepared to sign.)