This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
If Sen. Stuart Reid's favorite bill had passed, workers and their companies would be legally protected if they refused services to customers they believe are inferior ("Senators: Utah narrowly dodged Arizona's fate on gay bias bill," Tribune, Feb. 25).
Under the "Golden Reid Rule," they would be able to do unto others without concern for the consequences.
Classifying discrimination as a form of religious freedom could play out in different ways. Take a former co-worker of mine. He wore his religion on his brass belt buckle that proclaimed, "Jesus Loves You." A conversation turned sour when I learned that Jesus loves you, unless you are Mormon, Catholic or Jewish. Kenny regularly exercised his freedom to disrespect others.
Thanks to federal laws, God-fearing folks like Kenny cannot legally target people for discrimination due to race, color, religion, sex or national origin. But the Golden Reid Rule would escalate discrimination toward the LGBT community.
By the same token, Reid's bill would give an accounting clerk the right to not process Kenny's payroll checks because bigotry and oppression offend her religious beliefs.
The Golden Reid Rule is rusty as old nails and just as harmful.
Judy Hardy
Sandy