4.3.19 Mosque Accepts LGBT Muslims

Mosque Accepts LGBT Muslims

A new piece at NBC News tells the story of Muslims who accept homosexuality and who are providing a safe haven for gay Muslims to explore their faith. NBC speaks with Imam El-Farouk Khaki who co-founded Unity Mosque, a pro-LGBT mosque in Toronto. “I wanted a Muslim space that welcomed all humans and celebrated human diversity, including gender and sexual diversity,” Khaki tells NBC News. “I used to get angry going to the mosque because I would often have to listen to irrelevant or ignorant sermons. When I go to Unity Mosque, I am happy.” NBC cites a Pew survey that shows that 52 percent of U.S. Muslims believed that society should accept homosexuality. PRRI’s latest data shows that six in ten (60%) of Muslims favor protections for LGBT individuals.

Castro Announces Immigration Plan

Following indications from President Donald Trump that he could shut down the border between U.S./Mexico at any moment, one Democratic presidential candidate has gone specific with his immigration plan. Julian Castro, the former the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development released an immigration plan on Tuesday. Michael Scherer of The Washington Post writes, “Castro’s proposal, the first detailed immigration policy blueprint from any of the Democratic candidates for president, is a clear sign that the party’s leaders will be pressured to move beyond simply condemning President Trump’s policies over the coming months to offer their own detailed solutions to a surging influx of migrant families seeking asylum at the southern border.” Castro’s plan would increase refugee quotas, and stop construction of a border wall, among other provisions. In 2018, PRRI found that 31% of the public favors the construction of a wall while 63% are opposed. In 2017, roughly one-third (36%) of Americans expressed support for the construction of a wall along the country’s southern border.

Equal Pay Day  

On April 2, the nation observed “Equal Pay Day,” a day devoted to bringing awareness to the gender pay gap. Michele Gelfand and Virginia Choi write that the inequities go beyond wage disparity. The authors also write about the unequal discipline that men and women receive for similar mistakes and how it reinforces pay disparities. “This form of discrimination affects women and minorities, leading to demotions, negative work evaluations, and missed opportunities in pay raises and dismissals,” they argue. According to PRRI polling, partisans prioritize the gender pay gap differently. Close to half (45%) of Democrats say that the gender pay gap is critically important to them personally, and a similar number (38%) say that it is one among many important issues. By contrast, only 14% of Republicans say the pay gap is a critical issue while 30% it is one among many important concerns. A majority (52%) of Republicans say that the gender pay gap is not important.

Abortion Bill Proposed in Alabama

On Tuesday, lawmakers in Alabama introduced legislation that if enacted, would be the most restrictive abortion law in the United States. The law would classify performing an abortion, at any stage, as a felony. Alabama State Rep. Terri Collins proposed the bill. She says “Women have lots of choices, I have lots of choices, but once the child is actually … you are pregnant, there is actually a baby there, that option should not be on the table in my mind.” According to the executive director of the Alabama chapter of the ACLU, Collins bill has no place to go. “The bill would immediately be declared unconstitutional by a federal district court, that would be upheld on appeal,” Randall Marshall tells WHNT.According to PRRI data, 52% of Alabama residents believe Abortion should be illegal, compared to 40% of the United States.