Saturday, March 19, 2016

Pressure Builds On Georgia Governor Over Anti-Gay Religious Bill

The National Football League (NFL) on Friday came out against a bill approved by Georgia lawmakers that seeks to protect opponents of marriage equality.
Lawmakers approved House Bill 757 on Wednesday after replacing direct references to same-sex marriages with allowing religious groups to deny services “that violate such faith-based organization's sincerely held religious beliefs.”
Brian McCarthy said in a statement given to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that such policies may be used in determining future Super Bowl host sites.
“NFL policies emphasize tolerance and inclusiveness, and prohibit discrimination based on age, gender race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other improper standard,” he said. “Whether the laws and regulations of a state and local community are consistent with these policies would be one of many factors NFL owners may use to evaluate potential Super Bowl host sites.”
San Francisco-based tech company Salesforce has already threatened to pull a digital marketing conference out of the state if Governor Nathan Deal does not veto the measure.
“The economy of Georgia is now in the hands of @GovernorDeal as he considers an anti-gay law,” Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff tweeted on Friday.
Jack Dorsey, who helms Twitter and Square, added: “Twitter & Square oppose discrimination in all forms. @GovernorDeal: do the right thing and VETO House Bill 757. Proud to be an #LGBTQAlly!”

No comments: