HB 176 support isn't about gay rights

Politicians must be held to account
6/24/11
It’s clear that liberals are afraid of Palin
6/24/11
Taxes are a necessary part of any deficit solution
6/24/11
‘Student-athlete’ clearly a term that no longer applies
6/23/11
Banquet offers a glimpse at what’s being lost
6/23/11
> More opinion headlines

4:00 PM Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Letter to the editor

It is my belief that HB 176 is not about “gay rights;” it is about discrimination. I do not believe, as some have said, that the legislation “will create a protected class of citizens.” I believe that this legislation will serve “to protect citizenship as a class.”

We protect citizens from the visible reasons for discrimination (age, sex, skin color). Should we not protect them from discrimination for not so visible reasons?

I have not abandoned my conservative beliefs and principles. My co-sponsorship of HB 176 should not have surprised anyone.

It is terribly disheartening in a civil society that we must even consider legislation that prohibits discrimination, in any form, against any individual. Common sense and decency in relations among men and tolerance of their beliefs is fundamental to our republic – “that all men are created equal, endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights ...”

So many of our world’s problems and many of the current conflicts in the Middle East are the result of intolerance — an unwillingness to allow others to believe, or act, as they judge to be in their best interest. We must learn to respect the opinions and beliefs of others without sitting in judgment.

My co-sponsorship of HB 176 is consistent with my social conservatism. I believe in a loving God, who is all good and the creator of all that exists. And because of that fundamental belief, I believe in the right to, and the dignity of, life at every stage; I believe in the sanctity of marriage as a life-long union between a man and a woman; and I believe that no person should be discriminated against for any reason. I prefer to look for the good in all of God’s creation and be secure in my belief that judgment belongs to God.

And, finally, for the record, I remain a fiscal conservative. I believe that less government is better government. My agenda for my time in the Ohio House remains, quite simply, good government. I believe that our government has become too large and has become too much of a burden for our economic well-being.

Terry Blair

Washington Twp.

Mr. Blair, a Republican, represents Ohio’s 38th District.

Share this article