Beto O’Rourke is making large headlines today due to a statement made at a Q&A. During an event hosted by the Human Rights Campaign, the country’s largest LGBTQ equality advocates, O’Rourke answered yes when asked if religious institutions such as schools, churches, or charities should lose their tax-exempt status if they oppose same-sex marriage.
O’Rourke said, “There can be no reward, no benefit, no tax break for anyone or any institution, any organization in America that denies the full human rights and the full civil rights of every single one of us… And so as president, we're going to make that a priority and we are going to stop those who are infringing upon the human rights of our fellow Americans.”
He gets into an interesting topic here, that honestly I am not well enough versed in law and First Amendment issues to give an answer on. However, it raises the question in my head. At what point does it become an infringement on the rights of religious organizations? At what point do the religious groups overstep their boundaries? These questions are very interesting, especially with the three cases going to the Supreme Court currently. Three members of the LGBTQ community are bringing cases to court claiming their rights have been violated under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. At what point do the individual rights to expression and religion meet, and how do these co-exist? They are two conflicting issues in some cases and will be tough to navigate.
Jeffery Cook - October 11th, 2019
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