Missouri senators end marathon filibuster over ‘Religious Freedom’ Bill

Despite the best efforts of Missouri democrats, the republicans just passed a Religious Freedom Bill, which protects “religious organizations and individuals from being penalized by the state because of their sincere religious beliefs or practices concerning marriage between two persons of the same sex.”

In other words, people can continue to discriminate against us queers based on their religious beliefs. These laws exist in many states, and while they deserve our attention, the real story here is the tireless efforts of the democrats who filibustered for 39 hours before being forced to sit down and vote.

The marathon began on Monday at 4pm, and the democrats took turns standing in front of the senate criticizing the hot-button bill.

“We are fighting for fairness and the right for people to freely live out their faith while not infringing on the rights of others,” said Republican Sen. Bob Onder, a sponsor of the measure. “This is not about discrimination; it’s about liberty.”

But the democrats did not feel that way, as they produced the longest filibuster in Missouri history. Senators Scott Sifton, amilah Nasheed, Jill Schupp, Jason Holsman, Joseph Keaveny, and Maria Chappelle-Nadal rotated through three hour shifts for nearly two days.

The actions of these senators go beyond Missouri. These are our allies, who are doing whatever they can to ensure that queers have the same rights as our heterosexual peers. While the bill was still pushed through the senate, the actions of these senators should not go unrecognized.

Show these advocates the same level of support they just showed us.