Governor Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Patrick have made it clear that the protection of religious freedom will be a priority in next year's legislative session. But when they refer to "religious freedom," what they really mean is "freedom to discriminate."
We Texans are proud of our tradition of religious liberty, and we should be. But when that tradition is twisted to permit discrimination against Sikhs, Muslims, the LGBT community, or women seeking birth control, all of our freedoms are in peril.
Our leaders need to understand that using religion as an excuse to discriminate against certain groups violates our most important Constitutional principles, undermines our fundamental American values, and makes some people outcasts in their own communities.
