Top ACLU updates: Missouri, Tennessee, Alabama

• Missouri anti-LGBT vote today

• Tennessee Governor to sign anti-LGBT counseling bill

• Alabama city passes scary anti-trans ordinance

"The continued backlash against states that are trying to pass harmful measures that target gay and transgender people shows that it's politically toxic to carry this torch," said Rose Saxe, ACLU Senior Staff Attorney. "We urge lawmakers to recognize that these bills only damage and divide us as a nation, and that equality and fairness should be our guiding forces."

1. Missouri, SJR39: After the House Emerging Issues Committee failed to vote on it last week, a broad religious exemptions constitutional amendment that would allow religiously-affiliated organizations receiving state funds, businesses, and individuals to discriminate against , same sex couples, children of same-sex couples, LGBT youth and more is expected to come to a committee vote today.

Last month, the bill was filibustered on the Senate floor for a record 39.5 hours, but eventually was forced to a vote and passage in that chamber. Voices of opposition include: the state and local chambers (St. Louis and Kansas City); big companies like Square, Dow Chemical, and Monsanto; the NCAA; and the first openly gay NFL player and Missourian Michael Sam. If the legislature passes this bill, it would go on the ballot for a public vote either in a special or general election, to be determined by the Governor.

2. Tennessee, and HB 1840/SB 1556: On Friday, the Tennessee legislature adjourned for the year, killing more than a half a dozen anti-LGBT bills, including the anti-transgender student bathroom bill, SB 2387/ HB 2414. One piece of anti-LGBT legislation did pass through both chambers and is expected to be signed by the governor as soon as today.

This bill would allow counselors to turn away patients simply because they may conflict in some way with the counselors' "sincerely held principles." This could result in discrimination against not only gay and transgender people, but women and virtually anyone else with whom the counselor may disagree.  

3. Oxford, Alabama: The city of Oxford, Alabama, in direct response to Target's position that they would allow transgender customers to use the restroom aligned with their gender identity, passed a frightening criminal measure that forces people to use the restroom and other facilities that correspond with the gender listed on their birth certificate. Violations of the new law could land people in jail for six months. 

4. North Carolina, HB 2: More than 150,000 signatures demanding the repeal of North Carolina's anti-LGBT House Bill 2 were delivered to the office of Gov. Pat McCrory yesterday by a collection of civil rights, faith, business, and advocacy groups as the state legislature returns for the first time since it introduced and passed the law mandating discrimination against transgender people and limiting legal protections for LGBT+ people in a one-day special session on March 23.

In late March, the American Civil Liberties Union with partner organizations filed a lawsuit challenging the sweeping new anti-LGBT law.

5. South Carolina, S. 1203: A sweeping anti-trans bill that would force transgender people to use the wrong bathrooms in schools and government buildings and block localities from protecting transgender people from discrimination in sex-segregated spaces was opposed by several Republican senators and may not see its way out of committee.

Many oppose the bill, including Governor Nikki Haley who relayed that her state doesn't need this bill, "When I look at South Carolina, we look at our situations, we're not hearing of anybody's religious liberties that are being violated, and we're again not hearing any citizens that feel like they're being violated in terms of freedoms."

6. Hawaii: The Hawaii state legislature passed a measure yesterday that prohibits insurance companies from discriminating against transgender patients. The bill now goes to the Governor's desk for his signature. 

7. Colorado State Supreme Court refuses to hear Masterpiece Cakeshop case: The Colorado State Supreme Court decided on Monday to let stand an appellate court ruling that Masterpiece Cakeshop violated Colorado's anti-discrimination law when it refused to sell a same-sex couple a cake for their wedding reception.

In 2012, Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack Phillips informed Colorado residents David Mullins and Charlie Craig that, because of his religious beliefs, it was his standard business practice to refuse to provide cakes to customers for same-sex weddings. 

8. Amendment to NDAA offered that could gut nondiscrimination Executive Order: Representative Steve Russell (R-OK) plans to offer an amendment during today's markup of the National Defense Authorization Act in the House Armed Services Committee that, if adopted, would license taxpayer-funded discrimination by recipients of both federal contracts and grants.

Given the vague wording of the amendment, it also could gut the historic nondiscrimination executive order that President Obama signed in July 2014 that bars discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity by entities that contract with the government.

To track other LGBT bills visit the ACLU bill-tracking page.

The Gayly - 4/27/2016 @ 1:34 p.m. CDT