Sign the petition: Governor must veto “right to discriminate” bill

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal

On March 17, the Republican-controlled Georgia state legislature overwhelmingly voted to approve a discriminatory “religious liberty” bill (H.B. 757).

The bill states that with few exceptions, the government may not interfere in a person exercising religion—even if their actions are against the law, undermining any non-discrimination ordinances.

Additionally, the bill would shield faith-based groups from penalties if, without violating voluntary agreements like contracts, they refuse to provide services that violate their religious beliefs and would protect faith-based groups if they chose not to hire someone whose religious beliefs conflict with the organization’s.

The bill is now awaiting signature or veto from Georgia’s governor.

Sign the petition: Tell Georgia Governor Nathan Deal to veto H.B. 757.

Georgia is just the latest state to pass a hateful Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRAs) bill—many in backlash to the success of the marriage equality movement. But make no mistake, these bills don’t stop at discriminating against the LGBTQ community. Virtually every marginalized group can be impacted.

By design, these laws carve out exemptions to laws if a person offers a religious reason for not obeying them. It’s not a stretch of the imagination to anticipate that someone will hide behind religious liberty in order to defend bigotry reaching beyond homophobia.

Georgia’s bill goes further than many other states have, declaring that you don’t have to be part of an established religion in order to claim religious liberty. The consequences could be staggering. As stated by the Daily Beast, “Restaurants could refuse to serve gay or interracial couples, city clerks could refuse to marry interfaith couples, hotels could keep out Jews, housing developments could keep out black people (Genesis 9:18-27), pharmacies could refuse to dispense birth control, banquet halls could turn away gay weddings, schools could specifically allow anti-gay bullying, and employers could fire anyone for any “religious” reason.”

Sign the petition: Tell Governor Deal to veto H.B. 757.

Extreme right-wing conservatives want to expand the definition of what qualifies as a "religious liberty" in order to give credence to their outdated bigotry.

But these bills have nothing to do with religious freedom—they are a direct assault on civil rights and an erosion of a basic American value: The separation of church and state.
My religious freedom should end where your human and civil rights begin.

We can still defeat this hateful legislation. Georgia’s Governor Nathan Deal has said that he would reject any bill that "allows discrimination in Georgia in order to protect people of faith." Help us keep him to his word.

Sign the petition: Tell Governor Deal to veto H.B. 757.

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To: Georgia Governor Nathan Deal
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Don't enshrine discrimination into Georgia law. Veto H.B. 757.