Agriculture and Commerce ^and Hate

Tennessee has taken steps to protect the religious freedoms (a dog whistle that dropped to 10 kHz the first time it was used) of anyone who wants to call himself a counselor.

HB 1840, which is awaiting the governor’s signature, states in part

No counselor or therapist providing counseling or therapy services shall be required to counsel or serve a client as to goals, outcomes, or behaviors that conflict with a sincerely held religious belief of the counselor or therapist; provided,that the counselor or therapist coordinates a referral of the client to another counselor or therapist who will provide the counseling or therapy.

It protects

any person, whether or not such person is licensed, registered, or otherwise regulated by this state.

I assume unlicensed persons = ministers, because you know how gay people are always lawyering up when their pastors refuse to help them as they struggle to figure out who they are or how to come out to their parents. Also – I’m guessing – the creeps at those make sure your pregnancy is a crisis centers.

Organizations such as the American Counseling Association and the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy opposed the bill, but I’m sure there are licensed counselors in the Volunteer State who can’t wait to deny treatment to someone they find offensive. And since the bill doesn’t even contain an exception for a patient who is in crisis, they can refuse to do their jobs in a emergency without fear of repercussion. Thank goodness states like Tennessee are willing to protect hateful troglodytes from imaginary menaces by harming people who committed the heinous crime of being different, in order to gratify those voters who aren’t happy unless they’re certain the state is taking steps to make sure that someone, somewhere is being oppressed.

And talking of troglodytes, how about Jeremy Durham, one of HB 1840’s sponsors?

House Speaker Beth Harwell announced Thursday that she is moving Rep. Jeremy Durham’s office to the ground floor of a building across the street and that his access to committee rooms and the House chamber will be limited to when meetings are taking place. The move comes amid a state attorney general’s investigation into the Franklin Republican’s “pattern of conduct” toward women.

Interviews with 34 current and former lawmakers, lobbyists, staffers and interns included allegations that Durham made sexual comments and inappropriate physical contact with women working at Legislative Plaza, according to Attorney General Herbert Slatery’s memorandum to Harwell.

[…]
The allegations outlined in Slatery’s memo also say Durham used his position of power to:

– Obtain personal contact information from women.

– Initiate contact about non-legislative matters and try to meet women alone.

– Involve alcohol in his interaction with women.

– Make comments of a sexual nature or engage in inappropriate physical contact.

What a sterling example of humanity. If humanity were composed of Dick Cheney and puddles of sick that had learned to walk around and talk.

Here’s an example of his earlier work to defend religious freedom.

Durham’s colleagues also questioned previous behavior that included writing a letter on House stationery on behalf of a former pastor who pleaded guilty to child porn possession and statutory rape of a 16-year-old parishioner.

The GOP, party of moral clarity.