Ireland just passed a bill removing religious exemption from their LGBT equality law. The Republic of Ireland earlier this year approved same sex marriage in a referendum, which went into effect this month. They are now removing the religious exemption, a topic that has been controversial in the United States, from their equality laws.

It is fascinating to me that a country that I grew up thinking was grounded in religious conservatism has become so progressive. When I think of the crazy dialog in the United States to make sure that anyone with the slightest religious based prejudice has the right to discriminate, it is shameful.

Every week we read about a person in a religious institution being fired for being gay. Yesterday I read about a man who had been hired to run the cafeteria in a Catholic school, who put his husband on his application as the emergency contact. When the school realized he was gay they rescinded the job offer. The Ireland bill would outlaw this kind of blatant discrimination.

Ireland appears to be leading the way. Go Ireland.