Georgia Advances Religious Bigotry Bill

The Georgia Senate has advanced Senate Bill 180 that gives license to discriminate by allowing religious beliefs to be used as a justification for violating the basic civil rights of others. Bentley Hudgins HRC Georgia State Director stated, “If Senate Bill 180 becomes law, it could lead to LGBTQ+ Georgians – not to mention women, religious minorities & other vulnerable communities – being turned away from a business, denied housing or refused service because of who they are or who they love. Religious freedom is already deeply embedded in the U.S. & Georgia constitutions & it must not be wielded as a weapon to violate the basic civil rights of others. Lawmakers in the Georgia House of Representatives should quickly reject this discriminatory bill.” The Georgia Chamber of Commerce & Metro Atlanta Chamber have publicly opposed SB 180 stating “We believe it is best to focus on issues like workforce development, infrastructure & education which move our state forward & improve the quality of life for all Georgians. … we oppose any efforts, including SB 180, that would undermine the state’s strong reputation we have built together.” More than 300 major U.S. corporations have spoken out to oppose anti-LGBTQ legislation being proposed in states across the country. Major employers in tech, manufacturing, hospitality, health care, retail & other sectors are joining together to say that discrimination is bad for business & to call on lawmakers to abandon these efforts. A similar 2015 bill in Indiana resulted in the loss of 12 conventions & had a negative economic impact of up to $60 million in losses.