The LGBT Community Protests Georgia Bill Which Will Allow Discrimination in Religious Settings

Georgia is trying to set itself back about a 100 years with their “Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act.” This bill would allow discrimination and abuse towards women, children, people of different faiths and those in the LGBT community. The bill follows suite of the Hobby Lobby decision, where the company does not have to provide contraceptives  to their employees because of their religious beliefs. Also, the bill is similar to the Arizona’s “Turn the Gays Away” act, but this bill in Georgia has been taken to new level and is the most strict. If the bill passes in the Georgia state government gay couples can be refused service at any business because the business has the religious right to not work with them. Even black people can be refused at businesses as well, and domestic abuse will be allowed.

This bill will be taking away so much progress that people have fought for. The Civil Rights movement was about 50-60 years ago and now they will be reliving that time, all across the nation states are legalizing same sex marriage, and there have been laws created to stop domestic and child abuse. Women and children will find it difficult to leave a domestic home because of this bill. The abusive husband is allowed to because it his religious right to do so.

As long as a person or business claims that they are exercising their religious rights all acts of discrimination will be allowed. The bill states that “exercise of religion practice or observance of religion, whether or not compelled by or central to a system of religious belief.” Meaning that all a person has to do is claim that they are exercising their religious rights and all will be well.

The Daily Beast interviewed the executive Director of Georgia, Jeff Graham and he said that “This is a preemptive strike against the LGBT community,” he says. “If this bill is not intended to allow discrimination, why were its sponsors so adamant about refusing to say so?” Graham is referring to the fact that Georgia doesn’t have any laws protecting the LGBT community, so if a group of people wanted to harass or even physically attack someone who is LGBT they have the right to do so, and the LGBT person would have no protection. With the inclusion of this bill it can be even worse as long as the offender claims they were exercising their religious right.

The bill has already been passed in the state Senate and now is in the state House for a vote. The Daily Beast reported a story this morning that people of the LGBT community has rallied against the bill. On St. Patrick’s Day people protesting the bill stood across from the Georgia Capital Building to protest the bill that would discriminate against them. From the news report it seems that protestors will continue to fight against the bill and hope it will not pass in the state House. The session ends April 2, and that is when the final decision will be made.

Via Reuters