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James Lankford takes strong stand against equality…

12:17 PM EDT on March 23, 2021

Last week, our beloved US Senator James Lankford – a member of the Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission – took time out of his busy schedule to remind right-wing MAGA-loving Oklahoma voters that he, just like them, opposes legislation that would help protect people who aren't white, heterosexual Christians from discrimination.

Check out this statement he made in the Senate while arguing against the Equality Act – a proposed law that would "ban discrimination against people based on sexual orientation and gender identity" and "substantially expand the areas to which those discrimination protections apply."

In all fairness to James Lankford, the Equality Act does pose some interesting legal and philosophical arguments as to whether or not someone's religious beliefs, or bigoted personal views, should give them the legal protection and freedom to discriminate against another human being when it comes to hiring them for a job, or renting them a house, or making them a birthday cake. In those discussions, I usually lean towards the side that's pro-equality and anti-discrimination, but then again, I'm not a Christian hypocrite running for public office in Oklahoma.

That being said, I don't want to sound like I'm accusing Lankford of simply pandering to the Oklahoma MAGA-base here. He's actually had a long history of opposing equality. For example, he was able to rope JK Rowling into the discussion when arguing against the bill back in June.

Anyway, it will be interesting to see just how far off the equality rails Lankford goes as he tries to fend off hardcore right-wing primary challengers in the 2022 election. He'll probably organize sit-ins at local restaurants and churches to protect his – and other Evangelicals – rights to discriminate.

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