The White House has indicated that the president is likely to use his veto to block legislation outlawing employment discrimination based on sexual preference, because – get this – it would infringe the religious freedoms of employers, and thus be unconstitutional.

If you’re thinking that argument sounds familiar, it is. It’s the exact same argument used by many religious people to oppose similar modifications to the UK’s Provision of Goods and Services Act late last year. Of course, that was a group of religious protesters that no-one took particularly seriously, whereas this is the most powerful man in the world, and while they held a torch-light vigil and prayed a lot (with predictably negligible result,) the president actually has the power to prevent the law passing.

It’s depressing.

Linked from Dispatches from the Culture Wars.

For the second time in a month, an openly gay man has been set upon and violently beaten by an enraged mob in Western Jamaica. Part of the attack was videoed if you can bare to watch it. It might not be entirely worth it though, since (luckily?) you can’t really see what’s going on.

As if the attack itself wasn’t disturbing enough - some of the perpetrators waited outside the hospital where he was treated, so they could have another go when he got out. These people aren’t just thuggish backwards barbarians; they’re sick.

Link via Dispatches from the Culture Wars. Make sure you take a look at Ed’s coverage, for the quote from the “public defender” who basically says “if you act gay, you should expect to be beaten.”