Will GOP bend over backwards to take a gay-rights stand?

(Lennox)

In this week’s column, Dennis Lennox of the Mount Pleasant Morning Sun, perhaps best known these days as the loudest critic of state Rep. Dave Agema’s homophobic statements, urges Republican caution in embracing an upcoming bill that extends the rights of gays and lesbians.

The controversial bill would amend the state’s landmark Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to prohibit virtually all forms of discrimination based on sexual preference.

The legislation is being prepared by Republican Frank Foster, "a 26-year-old legislator from rural Pellston in the heart of cottage country,” reports Lennox, a GOP activist.

Here’s a portion of Lennox’s piece:

“Foster’s amendment is yet to be introduced, though reports from Lansing have several Republicans — in particular those who realize the GOP has a serious tone and messaging problem — interested in co-sponsorship.

“Despite the left’s narrative, the issue is not discrimination. What opposition is concerned about is the loss of religious liberty, which has been the case in other jurisdictions where identical laws were enacted.

“There are real cases of churches, clergy and others being sued and even criminally charged for their religious views. A recent example of this was a short-lived ban on former GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum from speaking at a Grosse Pointe high school because administrators deemed his pro-traditional marriage position hateful.

“This becomes an even bigger issue with the likely prospect of a ballot question in 2016 to do away with the state’s constitutional ban on same-sex weddings. If this passed, all sorts of discrimination claims would be raised under the pretext of anti-discrimination.”