Opinion: Religious freedom isn’t only for Christians in Iowa

After a contentious legislative debate, Gov. Kim Reynolds could have sent a message about the inclusion of all faiths as she signed Iowa’s version of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. After all, religious freedom is not meant to protect one narrow view of religion.

Instead, the governor signed the bill at an event organized by the Christian conservative group The Family Leader that was closed to the public. The Family Leader has, for more than a decade, fought marriage equality, sought to encourage discrimination against LGBTQ Iowans and assailed transgender rights, despite the fact sexual orientation and gender identity are protected in the Iowa Civil Rights Act.

Reynolds has been an enthusiastic supporter measures targeting LGBTQ Iowans.

So it seems clear that the state’s commitment to religious freedom is all about giving religious conservatives an escape route from the modern world, where old hatreds against LGBTQ people are no longer tolerated by law. That’s the intent, and the bill never should have seen the light of day in a state where our civil rights track record is a point of pride.

State and local governments, under the law, must not “substantially burden” the exercise of religion unless the government has a compelling interest, and its action is narrowly tailored and the least restrictive approach to meet the government’s interest.

The exercise of religion is defined as an act “substantially motivated by one’s sincerely held religious belief, whether or not the exercise is compulsory or central to a larger system of religious belief.”

So the law provides a rationale for legal action, which may or may not succeed.

But we expect, for some, the law will be interpreted as permission to discriminate. Refusing to hire LGBTQ people, provide housing or allow them to use public accommodations will be justified as an exercise of religious freedom.

Republicans who backed the bill insist it’s Iowa’s version of a federal RFRA law. But the federal law wasn’t crated to override civil rights protections.

If the state law leads to widespread discriminatory practices, Iowa’s efforts to attract businesses and workers will be tarnished. That’s why the Krause Group, the Technology Association of Iowa, Principal Financial Group and the Iowa Chamber Alliance opposed the bill.

Religious freedom is not a wholly owned subsidiary of the Christian right. And one version of faith should not be elevated above all others. All we can hope for now is for the courts to not apply this law as a license to discriminate.

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