Page 2 - ARUBA TODAY

A2 UP FRONT
Tuesday 29 May 2018
More LGBT issues loom as justices near wedding cake decision

By MARK SHERMAN The other category of
Associated Press cases concerns protec-
WASHINGTON (AP) — A tions for LGBT people under
flood of lawsuits over LGBT civil rights law. One case
rights is making its way expected to reach the
through courts and will court this summer involves
continue, no matter the a Michigan funeral home
outcome in the Supreme that fired an employee
Court’s highly anticipated who disclosed that she was
decision in the case of a transitioning from male to
Colorado baker who would female and dressed as a
not create a wedding cake woman.
for a same-sex couple. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court
Courts are engaged in two of Appeals ruled that the
broad types of cases on this firing constituted sex dis-
issue, weighing whether sex crimination under federal
discrimination laws apply civil rights law. The funeral
to LGBT people and also home argues in part that
whether businesses can Congress was not thinking
assert religious objections about transgender people
to avoid complying with when it included sex dis-
anti-discrimination mea- crimination in Title VII of the
sures in serving customers, 1964 Civil Rights Act. A trial
hiring and firing employees, In this Oct. 10, 2017, file photo, the Supreme Court in Washington is seen at sunset. judge had ruled for the fu-
providing health care and Associated Press neral home, saying it was
placing children with foster “There is a constellation of include gay and lesbian carve a hole in nondiscrimi- entitled to a religious ex-
or adoptive parents. hugely significant cases people. nation laws that could af- emption from the civil rights
The outcome of baker Jack that are likely to be heard In California and Texas, fect all communities,” said law. “Congress has not
Phillips’ fight at the Supreme by the court in the near fu- courts are dealing with law- Camilla Taylor, director of weighed in to say sex in-
Court could indicate how ture and those are going to suits over the refusal of hos- constitutional litigation at cludes gender identity. We
willing the justices are to significantly shape the legal pitals, citing religious be- Lambda Legal, which sup- should certainly make sure
carve out exceptions to landscape going forward,” liefs, to perform hysterecto- ports civil rights for LGBT that’s a conscious choice
anti-discrimination laws; said Shannon Minter, legal mies on people transition- people. of Congress and not just
that’s something the court director of the National ing from female to male. Jim Campbell of the Chris- the overexpansion of the
has refused to do in the ar- Center for Lesbian Rights. In Michigan, the American tian public interest law firm law by courts,” Campbell
eas of race and sex. Several legal disputes are Civil Liberties Union filed suit Alliance Defending Free- said. ADF also represents
The result was hard to pre- pending over wedding against the state’s prac- dom said the cases will de- the funeral home.
dict based on arguments services, similar to the Phil- tice of allowing faith-based termine whether “people In just the past week, two
in December. But however lips case. Video producers, child placement agencies like Jack Phillips who be- federal courts ruled in fa-
the justices rule, it won’t be graphic artists and florists to reject same-sex couples. lieve marriage is the union vor of transgender students
their last word on the topic. are among business own- Advocates of both sides of a man and a woman, who want to use school fa-
Religious conservatives ers who say they oppose see the essence of these that they too have a legiti- cilities that correspond to
have gotten a big boost same-sex marriage on re- cases in starkly different mate place in public life. their sexual identity. Those
from the Trump adminis- ligious grounds and don’t terms. Or does he have to hide or cases turn on whether the
tration, which has taken want to participate in “What the religious right is ignore those beliefs when prohibition on sex discrimi-
a more restrictive view of same-sex weddings. asking for is a new rule spe- he’s participating in the nation in education applies
LGBT rights and intervened They live in the 21 states cific to same-sex couples public square?” ADF rep- to transgender people.
on their side in several cas- that have anti-discrimina- that would not only affect resents Phillips at the Su- Appeals in both cases are
es, including Phillips’. tion laws that specifically same-sex couples but also preme Court. possible. q

Former President George HW Bush

hospitalized, misses parade

KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine our Nation — but also the marshal, Tom Willey, men-
(AP) — The hospitalization Gold Star families whose tioned the president in
of former President George heritage is imbued with his remarks, wishing him a
H.W. Bush caused him to their honor and heroism.” speedy recovery.
miss out on a Memorial Day Bush was taken to a hospi- “He’s such a figure at our
parade in Maine that he tal Sunday after he experi- parades. He was definitely
traditionally attends. enced low blood pressure missed,” said Shawn Hayes,
The 93-year-old said in a and fatigue. A spokesman vice commander of Ameri-
tweet Monday evening said he’d likely be in the can Legion Post 159. In this Nov. 5, 2017, file photo, former president George H.W.
that he regrets missing hospital for a couple of Bush arrived for the summer Bush arrives for an NFL football game between the Houston Tex-
the event earlier that day days for observation. There in Maine on May 20 without ans and the Indianapolis Colts in Houston.
in Kennebunkport, down was no update on his con- his wife of 73 years, Barbara Associated Press
the road from his summer dition Monday. Bush, who died in April in local American Legion hall. Bush was a Navy pilot in
home. He also said he’s Residents attending the Houston. His former national secu- World War II and survived
“forever grateful not only parade expressed concern The day before his hospi- rity adviser, retired Air Force being shot down over the
to those patriots who made for the nation’s 41st presi- talization, Bush attended a Lt. Gen. Brent Scowcroft, Pacific Ocean. His two
the ultimate sacrifice for dent. The event’s grand pancake breakfast at the joined them. crew members perished.q