To: The Georgia State House, The Georgia State Senate, and Governor Brian Kemp
Georgia’s anti-gay bill is coming back. Put a stop to it now.
Georgia Lawmakers: Sen. McKoon’s “religious freedom” bill does not protect freedom, but rather, strips people of it, and should be struck down.
As a lawmaker, you should stand up for the rights of all citizens by rejecting radical legislation that supports discrimination.
As a lawmaker, you should stand up for the rights of all citizens by rejecting radical legislation that supports discrimination.
Why is this important?
Nearly identical to the anti-gay legislation passed in Arizona, Georgia’s “religious freedom” bill would give individuals, businesses and other entities, including government employees, the right to discriminate against gay people or other groups currently protected by civil rights laws.
The legislation would provide a free pass for business owners who believe homosexuality is a sin to openly deny gay Americans employment or service.
This bill is a slap in the face to the LGBT community and everyone who believes in equality and civil rights.
And the legislation would extend beyond protecting those who want to discriminate against gay Americans.
According to the New Republic, under the new Arizona law, "a restaurateur could deny service to an out-of-wedlock mother, a cop could refuse to intervene in a domestic dispute if his religion allows for husbands beating their wives, and a hotel chain could refuse to rent rooms to Jews, Hindus, or Muslims."
It would allow physicians and nurses to refuse medical care, such as blood transfusions, that they find religiously offensive and allow government employees who adhere to extremist religions to refuse service to a person of a particular race.
It is shameful that this is a conversation that we need to have at all.
The “Preservation of Religious Freedom Act” is a disgraceful misstep and an embarrassment to our state.
Tell your lawmaker to support the rights of all Georgians and to reject legislation that promotes discrimination.
The legislation would provide a free pass for business owners who believe homosexuality is a sin to openly deny gay Americans employment or service.
This bill is a slap in the face to the LGBT community and everyone who believes in equality and civil rights.
And the legislation would extend beyond protecting those who want to discriminate against gay Americans.
According to the New Republic, under the new Arizona law, "a restaurateur could deny service to an out-of-wedlock mother, a cop could refuse to intervene in a domestic dispute if his religion allows for husbands beating their wives, and a hotel chain could refuse to rent rooms to Jews, Hindus, or Muslims."
It would allow physicians and nurses to refuse medical care, such as blood transfusions, that they find religiously offensive and allow government employees who adhere to extremist religions to refuse service to a person of a particular race.
It is shameful that this is a conversation that we need to have at all.
The “Preservation of Religious Freedom Act” is a disgraceful misstep and an embarrassment to our state.
Tell your lawmaker to support the rights of all Georgians and to reject legislation that promotes discrimination.