COLUMBUS, Ga. – Georgia state leaders are considering several bills addressing religious liberties but gay rights advocates argue they’ve never seen so many bills going after their rights.
Including one bill that actually won’t do much at all.
and one conservative state senator from our area actually agrees.
Eight bills are making their way through the Georgia House and Senate at the State Capital and according to representatives from our local LGBT community – it’s pretty clear why state leaders are focusing in on this issue now.
Colgay PRIDE Director Jeremy Hobbs says, “It has been one bill after another in retaliation against that ruling.”
Hobbs believes since the Supreme Court’s ruling declaring same sex marriage legal in all 50 states – the LGBT community is now a target.
Colgay Pride members will march at the Capital in protest Tuesday.
The Georgia State House and Senate are considering several bills – at least eight – looking at religious freedoms including house bill 757 – the Pastor Protection Act.
It makes it clear clergy can not be forced to perform same sex weddings – but Hobbs says the first amendment already covers that.
“This bill is called the Pastor Protection Act. I would call it the Politician Protection Act.”
Conservative State Senator Josh McKoon actually agrees with Hobbs.
“It really does very little to change the law. It’s designed for the politicians to go home and tell people during election time that they did something substantive for religious freedom.”
But that’s where the agreement ends.
McKoon has tried to pass a bill that would support religious freedoms for several years.
His bill – the Religious Freedom Restoration Act – would allow business owners to cite religious beliefs to deny people service.
Hobbs and representatives from Colgay Pride will travel to Atlanta Tuesday to fight McKoon’s bill and the rest of the bills making their way through the State Legislature
Hobbs says, “These are all singled out toward the LGBT community. This is the type of legislation that destroys our society.”
