The Georgia Legislature has passed House Bill 757, the “religious freedom” bill, or in other terms, the anti-gay bill. The bill gained its nickname from its unmistakably discriminatory content. And the only person who stands between it being finalized or being crushed, is Georgia Governor Nathan Deal. The pressure is on.
House Bill 757 includes many rights for the religious community, but is also very clearly against any LGBTQ+ people and anyone who may seem “objectionable.” If it passes, the new law would allow pastors to deny services to those who make them uncomfortable, and faith-based organizations would have the right to refuse anyone they considered distasteful. These organizations could also decide not to retain or hire employees who do not align with their beliefs. The bill would undermine the progress made recently in the United States, most notably with the conferral of marriage rights across the country, and it would allow religious individuals the right to discriminate against anyone they see as different or intolerable.
Jeff Graham, the Executive Director of Georgia’s Equality Group made this statement about the bill, "Conservatives, legal experts, people of faith, businesses and more than 75,000 Georgians expressed their strong opposition to legislation which threatens our state's economy and reputation, and which very clearly singles out LGBT people and others for harm…It’s shameful that lawmakers in the House ignored this feedback and, rather than taking steps to mitigate any potential fallout, actually made a bad bill worse."
But the real reason the bill has had so much backlash is because of the National Football League. The Atlanta Falcons will reveal their new Mercedes Benz stadium in 2017, and have been lobbying hard to host the 2019 or 2020 Super Bowl. Taxpayers shelled out big money for the stadium because of the promise of the economic boost the Super Bowl would create. On average Super Bowls generate profit impacts of about $800 million and an Atlanta during Super Bowl week could potentially draw around 1.5 million people from all over the country. Because of House Bill 757, the NFL has threatened to remove Atlanta from consideration as a Super Bowl city.
The spokesperson for the League, Brian McCarthy stated, “NFL policies emphasize tolerance and inclusiveness, and prohibit discrimination based on age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other improper standard. Whether the laws and regulations of a state and local community are consistent with these policies would be one of many factors NFL owners may use to evaluate potential Super Bowl host sites.” These threats are not idle either. In 1992, the NFL took away Arizona’s Super Bowl because the state refused to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This would be a huge set back for the Falcons and their new stadium as well as the taxpayers who funded it.
Governor Deal has been pressured to veto House Bill 757 from both the NFL and equality groups who say that the bill would allow outrageous discrimination and distrust across the state. Even the Falcons owner Arthur Blank entered the conversation, saying, “I strongly believe a diverse, inclusive and welcoming Georgia is critical to our citizens and the millions of visitors coming to enjoy all that our great state has to offer. House Bill 757 undermines these principles and would have long-lasting negative impact on our state and the people of Georgia.” But still, Governor Deal is yet to make his decision.
