Mississippi's Governor Has Signed Anti-LGBT Bill

Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant has followed North Carolina and Georgia's controversial lead by signing a "Religious Freedom" bill into law. Although Georgia's bill was vetoed after a public outcry, North Carolina's Governor Pat McCrory is holding on tightly to the discriminating legislation.

Mississppi's HB 1523 will enable individuals who religiously or morally oppose homosexuality to refuse service to LGBT individuals.

The new bill will allow religious government employees to deny marriage certificates, and medical personnel could legally turn away LGBT patients.

NPR reported that the legislation protects three beliefs or convictions: "Marriage is between a man and a woman", "sex is 'properly reserved to such a marriage'," and "words like 'male' and 'female' are 'objectively determined by anatomy and genetics at birth.'"

After signing HB 1523, Gov. Phil Bryant tweeted a statement:

North Carolina and Georgia's anti-LGBT laws faced a powerful backlash from big corporations like Google and PayPal, citizens and celebrity allies, and government officials such as New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee.

Hopefully, a similar rally will take place against Mississippi. Local newspaper The Clarion-Ledger reported that individuals have already begun protesting outside the Governor's home, demanding he veto the bill.