A Mississippi measure that would allow people with
religious objections to deny wedding services to same-sex couples and provide
wide protections for actions decried as discriminatory by gay rights advocates
passed the state legislature on Friday.
Opponents plan a last-ditch attempt to stop the
legislation on Monday before it heads to Mississippi Republican Governor Phil
Bryant, whose spokesman said he would decide whether to sign or veto it after a
thorough review.
Bryant previously said he did not consider the bill
discriminatory, according to WLOX television in Mississippi.
The fight comes after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last
year legalizing same-sex marriage. In a wave of state-level legislation, social
conservatives have pushed measures seen as harmful to lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender men and women.
A new law barring transgender people in North Carolina
from choosing bathrooms consistent with their gender identity has drawn wide
protest, while the governors of Georgia and Virginia vetoed similar
"religious liberty" bills this week.
Representative Andy Gipson, a Republican sponsor of
the Mississippi measure, urged his colleagues on Friday not to be intimidated
by national media criticism. He highlighted a poll that showed wide support for
the measure in the state.
"It's time that we stand up and do the work of
the people and protect the freedoms that they enjoy," he said.
The bill includes provisions that go beyond same-sex
marriages, according to the Human Rights Campaign, a national gay rights
advocacy group that has labeled the act appalling.
"We urge Governor Bryant to do the right thing -
reject discrimination, and veto this harmful measure when it reaches his
desk," said HRC President Chad Griffin earlier this week.
The legislation would allow employers to cite
religious conviction in determining workplace policies on dress code, grooming
and bathroom and locker access.
Foster parents would be protected in placing lesbian,
gay or transgender children into controversial programs seeking to change their
sexual orientation, said Ben Needham, director of HRC's "Project One
America" to expand lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights in the
U.S. South.
He said the legislation could also permit
discrimination against single mothers, for example, by religious-affiliated
organizations such as homeless shelters and food pantries.
Additionally, state court clerks could seek to be
recused from providing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Some of Mississippi's large employers, such as Nissan
North America and MGM Resorts International, have spoken out against
legislation that would discriminate.
(Reporting by Letitia Stein in Tampa, Fla.; Editing by
Colleen Jenkins and Matthew Lewis)
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