美国国家公共电台 NPR LGBTQ Advocates Fear 'Religious Freedom' Bills Moving Forward In States

 

LOURDES GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:

During the Obama administration, there were hundreds of bills introduced in state legislatures that tried to limit LGBTQ rights. But most didn't go anywhere. Now there are renewed efforts on the state level to pass so-called religious-freedom bills. LGBTQ-rights advocates believe that's because local lawmakers are anticipating support from the Trump¹ administration. NPR's Laura Sydell reports.

LAURA SYDELL, BYLINE²: April Aaron-Brush and her wife have a 10-year-old adopted daughter. But for many years in Alabama, only Aaron-Brush could legally adopt her. Then the Supreme³ Court legalized same-sex marriage. And now she and her wife are recognized as parents under the law. They want to adopt another child. But that hasn't been so easy.

APRIL AARON-BRUSH: We've had several agencies that refused to call us back already because we're a same-sex couple. Although we've got marriage equality, and we're supposed to be equal - but at this point in time, we're still having hurdles⁴ to jump over.

SYDELL: Aaron-Brush says the agencies didn't tell her explicitly⁵ they were turning them down because they are a lesbian couple. But all the forms asked about a mother and a father. And at least one of the agencies has a Christian⁶ affiliation⁷. Aaron-Brush has thought about investigating and perhaps taking legal action. That's why, says Eric Johnston, religious agencies want protection. Johnston is an attorney who represents several adoption⁸ agencies in Alabama with a religious affiliation.

ERIC JOHNSTON: They anticipated there could be problems and wanted to, in advance, think it through and do something that would be reasonable and to the benefit of everyone concerned on both sides of the issue.

SYDELL: Johnston helped draft a law that would make it clear that faith-based agencies can hold true to their beliefs if they don't think same-sex couples should be parents. Representative Richard Wingo of the Alabama House then worked to get the bill introduced.

RICHARD WINGO: The bill is saying that - do not discriminate⁹ against these faith-based agencies and force them to place children, foster or adoption, into homes that go against their religious beliefs.

SYDELL: Wingo says in some states, religious adoption agencies have closed rather than be forced to put children with same-sex couples. And he says only 30 percent of the adoption agencies in Alabama have a religious affiliation. The psychiatric community has found no credible¹⁰ evidence that having lesbian or gay parents harms children. But Wingo says...

WINGO: It doesn't matter what I think. If we're a follower¹¹ of Christ, what matters is - what does the word of God say? What does God say about it?

SYDELL: Wingo's bill didn't go very far when he first introduced it two years ago. This year, the bill is listed on the Alabama State Senate GOP agenda for the first time. Eva Kendrick is the Alabama state manager for the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ-rights group.

EVA KENDRICK: This bill has been fast-tracked through the House of Representatives with support from both Senate and House Republican leadership.

SYDELL: With the choice of Jeff Sessions to be attorney general, the Trump administration has picked someone who is likely to be an ally on these state bills. Back when Attorney General Sessions was a U.S. congressman¹², he referred to separation of church and state as something that's recent, unhistorical and unconstitutional. Sarah Warbelow is the legal director for the HRC. And she believes the choice of Sessions as attorney general is sending a signal to local lawmakers.

SARAH WARBELOW: In just a short period of time, we're seeing renewed vigor¹³ in the states around passing legislation predicated on the idea that they're protecting religious liberties but truthfully allowing widespread discrimination.

SYDELL: In addition, Warbelow says there are similar religious-freedom adoption bills in South Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas. The faster advancement¹⁴ of these bills has advocates for the LGBTQ community nervous about their future under the Trump administration. Laura Sydell, NPR News.

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

4 hurdles   

n.障碍( hurdle的名词复数 )；跳栏；（供人或马跳跃的）栏架；跨栏赛

参考例句：

• In starting a new company, many hurdles must be crossed. 刚开办一个公司时，必须克服许多障碍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There are several hurdles to be got over in this project. 在这项工程中有一些困难要克服。 来自辞典例句

5 explicitly   

ad.明确地，显然地

参考例句：

• The plan does not explicitly endorse the private ownership of land. 该计划没有明确地支持土地私有制。
• SARA amended section 113 to provide explicitly for a right to contribution. 《最高基金修正与再授权法案》修正了第123条，清楚地规定了分配权。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

6 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

7 affiliation   

n.联系，联合

参考例句：

• There is no affiliation between our organization and theirs,even though our names are similar.尽管两个组织的名称相似，但我们之间并没有关系。
• The kidnappers had no affiliation with any militant group.这些绑架者与任何军事组织都没有紧密联系。

8 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。

9 discriminate   

v.区别，辨别，区分；有区别地对待

参考例句：

• You must learn to discriminate between facts and opinions.你必须学会把事实和看法区分出来。
• They can discriminate hundreds of colours.他们能分辨上百种颜色。

10 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

11 follower   

n.跟随者；随员；门徒；信徒

参考例句：

• He is a faithful follower of his home football team.他是他家乡足球队的忠实拥护者。
• Alexander is a pious follower of the faith.亚历山大是个虔诚的信徒。

12 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

13 vigor   

n.活力，精力，元气

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• She didn't want to be reminded of her beauty or her former vigor.现在，她不愿人们提起她昔日的美丽和以前的精力充沛。

14 advancement   

n.前进，促进，提升

参考例句：

• His new contribution to the advancement of physiology was well appreciated.他对生理学发展的新贡献获得高度赞赏。
• The aim of a university should be the advancement of learning.大学的目标应是促进学术。