Georgia faces firestorm from business for anti-LGBT legislation

By Rob Howard
Associate Editor

As Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal considers whether or not to sign HB 757, the “right to discriminate” bill that would allow people to discriminate against same-sex couples due to their “sincerely held religious belief,” storm clouds are forming on the horizon. What happened in Indiana last year, costing Indianapolis $60 million in business, look poised to happen in Georgia if Gov. Deal does not veto the bill.

According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), ”Over the weekend, at HRC’s annual Los Angeles Gala, the organization’s President Chad Griffin addressed more than 1,000 supporters and leaders in the entertainment industry and called on Hollywood to stop productions in Georgia if the state’s Governor Nathan Deal, doesn’t veto the new Indiana-style ‘license to discriminate’ bill passed by the state legislature last week.

“According to the state of Georgia, which offers major tax incentives for entertainment companies to film in the state, at least 248 film and television productions were shot in Georgia during the state’s 2015 fiscal year. This resulted in at least $1.7 billion in direct spending as well as more than 100 new businesses relocating to or expanding in Georgia to support these activities.”

“As Variety points out, shows like The Vampire Diaries and The Walking Dead, as well as movies including, Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and Captain America: Civil War either currently shoot or have recently been shot in the state.”

In addition to the HRC’s efforts, major companies are also calling for the Governor to veto HB 757. “Apple, the National Football League (NFL) and the Atlanta Braves, Falcons and Hawks have joined the growing list of major corporations, business leaders, and sports teams speaking out against HB 757….”

According to HRC, “Urging Deal to veto the discriminatory measure, Apple released a statement expressing its concern for the bill and the company’s commitment to “inclusion, diversity and continued prosperity.”

In addition to Apple and the professional sports teams, “…numerous corporate sector leaders and CEOs have now spoken out against the bill, including those from: Dell, Dow Chemical Company, Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Hilton, Intel, Intercontinental Hotels, Live Nation Entertainment, Marriott, MailChimp, Metro Atlanta Chamber, Microsoft, Paypal, Salesforce, Square, Turner, Twitter, Unilever, Virgin, Yelp, among others.

“If signed, the bill could undermine local non-discrimination ordinances that protect LGBT people, permit hospitals to refuse to provide medically necessary care, and allow a taxpayer-funded service provider to discriminate by denying a job because of the applicant's religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity.”

In neighboring Kentucky, faced with a similar bill, the state’s leading newspaper, the Louisville Courier-Journal, through its editorial board, spoke out in favor of statewide LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination protections. Referring to the Indiana experience with a similar bill last year, the paper wrote, “… one lesson some don’t seem to want to learn is the lesson of Indiana’s disastrous passage last year of its version of a Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Kentucky does not need to wade into those dangerous waters, yet that's exactly where the Kentucky Senate headed last week.”

According to HRC, “The bill, SB 180, would undermine state and local protections against discrimination for a host of minority communities in Kentucky by allowing businesses like photographers, tailors, engravers, or any other businesses that provide custom goods and services to discriminate and refuse service for any reason. The editorial board also highlights SB 176, the Kentucky Competitive Workforce Act. The bill would add protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity to the state’s existing civil rights law.”

HRC has started an online petition to urge Gov. Deal to veto HB 757 in Georgia. The petition reads:

“Governor Nathan Deal,

“Thank you for your recent statements on discrimination and your desire for the legislature to avoid ‘setting up the situation where we could be accused of allowing or encouraging discrimination.’

“Unfortunately, that's exactly what H.B. 757, the  ‘religious refusal’ bill, would do.  This bill, which includes language nearly identical to the Indiana law that drew national headlines last year, could allow a business owner or employee to refuse service, undermining local non-discrimination ordinances that protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) people. It could also permit hospitals to refuse to provide medically necessary care or allow a taxpayer-funded service provider to discriminate by denying a job because of the applicant's religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

“A number of Georgia-based corporations and major employers in the state -- such as SalesForce and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce -- have already spoken out against this bill. In addition, the film industry in Georgia has staunchly opposed the passage of this type of legislation -- stating emphatically that they would leave the state if this bill were to become law.

“H.B. 757 does not promote a positive environment for citizens or businesses in Georgia. As a supporter of the Human Rights Campaign, America’s largest LGBT advocacy group, I urge you to veto H.B. 757.”

You can sign the petition at bit.ly/1Sc4Btq.

The Gayly – March 21, 2016 @ 5 p.m.