Via Towleroad…
As the Maryland House prepares to take a vote on the pending marriage equality bill tomorrow, an undecided delegate has proposed a last minute amendment which strips specifics from a religious protection clause in the bill:
Del. John A. Olszewski Jr. said today that he believes his amendment makes the bill stronger. The House Judiciary Committee this afternoon debated whether to embrace Olszewski’s amendment as “friendly,” even as Republican committee members cried foul.
The amendment strikes language in the bill that spells out what religious programs — including counseling and summer camp — are shielded from having to provide services to same-sex couples. By taking out those specifications, Olszewski believes, the overall religious protections would be stronger…
[Emphasis mine…] Oh this is Interesting. Religious right groups and conservatives have said for ages that hate crime laws and anti-bullying codes in schools should not be specific, that is, should not name specific groups (or more specifically…they should not name Teh Gay as a protected class) because that limits their scope and effectiveness. Okay. Fine. Yet here they are crying foul over an amendment to Maryland’s proposed same-sex marriage law that does just that for religious groups.
Now…why would they do that?
