03-28-2015, 04:43 PM
(03-28-2015, 03:30 PM)username Wrote: Yeah. I wonder if that extends to landlords though. I haven't read it, but I'd be pretty pissed if me and my girlfriend were precluded from renting in a certain apartment complex because the building's owner didn't like our sexual orientation.
It's a good question and I've never found a definitive answer; RFRA laws are rather vague when it comes to such details.
The federal Fair Housing Act protects people from discrimination when they are renting, buying, or securing financing for any housing. The prohibitions specifically cover discrimination because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability and the presence of children. The Fair Housing Act does not specifically cover gay and transgender individuals though.
But, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development has implemented policies to ensure that its core programs are open to all eligible individuals and families regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status as of 2012.
Opponents fear that RFRA makes it harder for LGBT individuals and families to get government to respond and intervene in cases of alleged sexual-orientation based housing discrimination.
Supporters argue that RFRA is not about licensing discrimination in the state, it's about protecting freedom of religious liberties for businesses (without federal intervention).