Democrat introduces two anti-LGBT bills in Kentucky

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a pink background.

A Democratic Representative has introduced two bills to limit the rights of LGBT people on the first day of the 2017 General Assembly.

Representative Rick Nelson introduced one ‘religious freedom’ bill which would allow businesses to discriminate against LGBT people based on religious belief.

House Bill 105 states that no person can have their “right of conscience” violated by a law or court.

And immediately afterwards, House Bill 106 would limit specifically the rights of transgender people who wish to use a bathroom which corresponds to anything other than their “biological sex”.

The bathroom bill, similar to those introduced in other states this year including Virginia, is also similar to North Carolina’s HB2, which caused the state to lose businesses as well as a number of high profile music and sporting events.

The focus on such bills is not what Governor Matt Bevin and Republican House Speaker Jeff Hoover want to concentrate on.

One of the poorest US states, Hoover and Bevin hope to concentrate on legislation to bring jobs and money to the state.

Bevin has already said he thinks anti-trans bathroom bills are not necessary as protections are already in place, and because they do not fix any actual problem.

“The effect of passing this type of discriminatory legislation is clear. It will cost the state millions of dollars,” Chris Hartman, director of Kentucky’s Fairness Campaign, said in a statement of the bills.

“If Kentucky lawmakers want to remain focused on improving our commonwealth’s economy, this is exactly the legislation they should avoid. Furthermore, if Kentucky fans hope to host NCAA College Basketball championship games in the future, they must speak out against HB 105 and HB 106.”