Mississippi enacts law that allows nyg servic to gays

Contents:

• MISSISSIPPI ENACTS LAW THAT ALLOWS NYG SERVIC TO GAYS
• MISSISSIPPI LAW ON SERVG GAYS PROV DIVISIVE
• MISSISSIPPI’S ANTI-LGBT LAW IS WORSE THAN NORTH CAROLA’SHATE LAWTHE LAW WOULD ALLOW OPEN DISCRIMATN UNR THE GUISE OF RELIG PROTECTN. SAMANTHA ALLENUPDATED APR. 13, 2017 4:32PM EDT ROGEL V. SOLIS/APMISSISSIPPI IS ALREADY ONE OF THE WORST STAT FOR LGBT PEOPLE AMERI. NOW, IS ONE SIGNATURE AWAY OM NOT JT ALLOWG, BUT OPENLY ENDORSG DISCRIMATN.WHILE PUBLIC ATTENTN WAS SQUARELY FOCED ON THE RECENT ANTI-LGBT LAW NORTH CAROLA—THE FIRST THE UNTRY TO REGULATE TRANSGENR PEOPLE’S E OF PUBLIC BATHROOMS BASED ON THEIR BIRTH CERTIFIT—THE MISSISSIPPI STATE LEGISLATURE WAS BY VOTG ON A BILL THAT WOULD TAKE THE STATE BACK TO THE STONE AGE.THE BILL, HB 1523, EASILY PASSED THE MISSISSIPPI HOE AND SENATE AND NOW MT RETURN TO THE HOE FOR SOME REVISNS BEFORE HEADG TO GOVERNOR PHIL BRYANT’S SK. THE REPUBLIN ERNOR HAS SAID THAT HE “WILL REVIEW IF AND WHEN ARRIV ON HIS SK.”HB 1523 WOULD EXPRSLY ALLOW BS AND PUBLIC EMPLOYE TO DISCRIMATE AGAST LGBT PEOPLE BUT HAS BEEN AMED BY S SPONSOR, KIM DAVIS SUPERFAN REPRENTATIVE PHILIP GUNN, AS A PROTECTN OF THREE “SCERELY HELD RELIG BELIEFS.” THE BELIEFS ARE THAT MARRIAGE IS BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN, SEXUAL RELATNS SHOULD ONLY OCCUR WH A HETEROSEXUAL MARRIAGE, AND “BLOGIL SEX” NNOT BE CHANGED. ONLY TWO OF THE EMS QUALIFY AS BELIEFS: BLOGIL SEX CHARACTERISTICS N BE CHANGED WH HORMON AND SURGERY, AND THE BILL’S FN OF SEX TERMATN IS SCIENTIFILLY ACCURATE.BASED ON THE THREE “BELIEFS,” HB 1523, GRANTS FAR-REACHG PERMISSNS FOR SOCIAL WORKERS AND PRIVATE EMPLOYERS ALIKE TO NY SERVIC TO LGBT PEOPLE.FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE BILL GRANTS RELIG ANIZATNS IMMUNY OM STATE PUNISHMENT THE ARENAS OF EMPLOYMENT AND HOG. IT ALSO PROTECTS ANY DIVIDUAL WHO REF TO PROVI SERVIC—CLUDG “PHOTOGRAPHY, POETRY, VIOGRAPHY, DISC-JOCKEY SERVIC” AND “PASTRY ARTISTRY”—FOR SAME-SEX WEDDGS. AS FAR AS PROPOSED ANTI-LGBT LAWS GO, THE PROVISNS ARE FAIRLY STANDARD.BUT THE BILL ALSO SANCTNS AN EXTREME RANGE OF DISCRIMATN FAR OUTSI THE PURVIEW OF RELIG ANIZATNS. THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN (HRC) HAS LLED “APPALLG” AND “HORRIFIC.”HB 1523 WOULD SEEMGLY PROTECT FOSTER OR ADOPTIVE PARENTS WHO SUBJECT THEIR CHILDREN TO DANGERO NVERSN THERAPY BASED ON THE IA THAT THEY WISH TO “RAISE A CHILD BASED UPON OR A MANNER NSISTENT WH A SCERELY HELD RELIG BELIEF.” LIKE 45 OTHER STAT, MISSISSIPPI DO NOT PROHIB THE PRACTICE OF DANGERO AND BUNKED NVERSN THERAPY TECHNIQU ON MORS. HB 1523, THEN, WOULD ONLY EMBOLN PARENTS WHO SEEK TO VALIDATE THE INTY OF THEIR GAY OR TRANSGENR CHILDREN.UNLIKE THE NORTH CAROLA BILL, THE MISSISSIPPI LAW DO NOT EXPLICLY RTRICT TRANSGENR PEOPLE’S E OF PUBLIC ACMODATNS BUT DO GRANT BS, EMPLOYERS, AND SCHOOLS IMMUNY OM STATE ACTN IF THEY WISH TO TABLISH “SEX-SPECIFIC STANDARDS” FOR THEIR “TIMATE FACILI.” THIS WOULD MEAN THAT TRANSGENR PEOPLE’S RIGHT TO E THE BATHROOM THE STATE ULD LEGALLY VARY BY EMPLOYER, BY SCHOOL, AND EVEN BY BUILDG.THE BILL BARS ANY STATE PUNISHMENT FOR PHYSICIANS AND THERAPISTS WHO CLE TO PROVI TRANSGENR HEALTH RE. IN THEORY, THIS PROVISN ULD MAKE TRANSGENR HEALTH RE EVEN LS ACCSIBLE THAN IS AT PRENT. A RECENT SURVEY OF ENDOCROLOGISTS FOUND THAT A THIRD ARE UNWILLG TO OFFER HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY FOR TRANSGENR PATIENTS SPE THE EXISTENCE OF ENDOCRE SOCIETY GUIL AND CLEAR STANDARDS OF RE OM THE WORLD PROFSNAL ASSOCIATN OF TRANSGENR HEALTH (WPATH).IF BE LAW, HB 1523 WOULD ALSO ALLOW FERTILY CLICS TO NY SERVIC SUCH AS VRO FERTILIZATN (IVF) TO SAME-SEX UPL BASED ON A “SCERELY HELD RELIG BELIEF.”FALLY, THE BILL WOULD PERM MARRIAGE CLERKS, JUDG, AND MAGISTRAT TO RECE THEMSELV OM PROVIDG MARRIAGE LICENS TO SAME-SEX UPL OR SOLEMNIZG THEIR WEDDGS. IN EFFECT, THE BILL SPECIFI THAT THE ERNMENT EMPLOYE NNOT BE PENALIZED BY THE STATE FOR REFG TO DO THEIR JOBS.NOT ONLY IS THIS BILL MEAN-SPIRED, IS PLETELY UNNECSARY TO LEGALIZE ANTI-LGBT DISCRIMATN MISSISSIPPI. ANTI-LGBT DISCRIMATN IS ALREADY LEGAL MISSISSIPPI.THE STATEWI NON-DISCRIMATN LAW DO NOT CLU SEXUAL ORIENTATN OR GENR INTY AND NEHER DO S HATE CRIME LEGISLATN. MISSISSIPPI WAS THE LAST STATE THE UNTRY TO PROHIB ADOPTN BY SAME-SEX UPL, ONLY ENDG ENFORCEMENT OF S BAN WHEN A FERAL JUDGE LED UNNSTUTNAL THIS THURSDAY.IN 2014, MISSISSIPPI PASSED A RELIG FREEDOM RTORATN ACT (RFRA), WHICH ALLOWS ANY ANIZATN OR DIVIDUAL TO SUE OVER STATE LAWS THAT THEY PERCEIVE AS ATTACKS ON THEIR RELIG BELIEFS. THIS MEANS THAT EVEN IF MISSISSIPPI WERE TO PASS LEGISLATN PROTECTG LGBT PEOPLE, WOULD ALMOST CERTALY TRIGGER A WAVE OF LIGATN.LGBT ADVOT ARE RALLYG AGAST THE BILL BUT RECENT HISTORY NSERVATIVE STAT SUGGTS THAT ENOMIC PRSURE WOULD HELP PERSUA GOVERNOR BRYANT TO WHHOLD HIS SIGNATURE.INDIANA GOVERNOR MIKE PENCE SIGNED AN AMEND VERSN OF HIS STATE’S RFRA LAST APRIL AFTER BS OBJECTED TO THE ORIGAL LAW. GEIA GOVERNOR NATHAN DEAL VETOED HIS STATE’S ANTI-LGBT “RELIG EEDOM” BILL EARLIER THIS WEEK AFTER SUBSTANTIAL PRSURE OM THE NFL, THE FILM DTRY, AND OTHER PRIVATE TERTS. AND SCE SIGNG THE NORTH CAROLA ANTI-LGBT LAW, OVER 90 CEOS AND BS LEARS HAVE LLED FOR GOVERNOR PAT MCCRORY AND THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO REPEAL THE DISCRIMATORY LEGISLATN.WHETHER SUCH TACTICS WOULD WORK ON GOVERNOR BRYANT REMAS TO BE SEEN. BS INSIR RECENTLY RANKED THE MISSISSIPPI ENOMY 46TH THE UNTRY BASED ON S HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT AND LOWT--THE-UNTRY GDP PER PA. RETALIATN OM THE BS WORLD ULD SEVERELY IMPACT AN ALREADY STGGLG STATE.AS HRC PRINT CHAD GRIFF SAID, “MISSISSIPPI'S ENOMY AND S REPUTATN HANG THE BALANCE.” SAMANTHA ALLEN
• MISSISSIPPI IS CLOSE TO ENACTG AMERI’S MOST ANTI-LGBT LAWUGLYTHE MISSISSIPPI LAW, HB 1523, GRANTS BROAD PERMISSN TO DISCRIMATE AGAST LGBT PEOPLE, OSTENSIBLY TO PROTECT THE ‘EE EXERCISE OF RELIG BELIEFS.’SAMANTHA ALLENUPDATED JUN. 27, 2017 9:41AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEASTMISSISSIPPI’S HB 1523 HAS BEEN LLED THE “WORST ANTI-LGBT LAW AMERI.” NOW, AFTER THE 5TH CIRCU UPHELD THE LAW LAST THURSDAY, ULD FALLY GO TO EFFECT.SAN SOMMER, DIRECTOR OF NSTUTNAL LIGATN FOR THE LGBT ADVOCY ANIZATN LAMBDA LEGAL, SAYS ’S ONLY A TASTE OF CHALLENG TO E A POST-OBERGEFELL UNTRY, AND SCRIB THE LAW AS A 'TT BALLOON'. HB 1523, SIGNED BY MISSISSIPPI GOV. PHIL BRYANT APRIL OF LAST YEAR BUT PREVENTED OM GOG TO EFFECT BY A JUNE 2016 JUNCTN THE SE BAKER V. BRYANT, GRANTS BROAD PERMISSN TO DISCRIMATE AGAST LGBT PEOPLE, OSTENSIBLY TO PROTECT THE “EE EXERCISE OF RELIG BELIEFS.”IT DO SO BY LERALLY WRG ANTI-LGBT “RELIG BELIEFS” AND “MORAL NVICTNS” TO STATE LAW, NAMELY THE BELIEFS THAT “MARRIAGE IS OR SHOULD BE REGNIZED AS THE UNN OF ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN” AND THAT “MALE (MAN) OR FEMALE (WOMAN) REFER TO AN DIVIDUAL’S IMMUTABLE BLOGIL SEX AS OBJECTIVELY TERMED BY ANATOMY AND GEICS AT TIME OF BIRTH.” THE MEASURE ALSO CREAT ROOM TO DISCRIMATE AGAST PEOPLE WHO ENGAGE PREMARAL SEX— OTHER WORDS, ALMOST EVERYONE.THE LAW WOULD NOT ONLY GRANT RELIG ANIZATNS EEDOM TO DISCRIMATE BASED ON THE BELIEFS, ALSO APPLI TO DIVIDUALS AND STATE EMPLOYE. AMONG MANY OTHER THGS, WOULD EXPRSLY ALLOW PEOPLE TO REFE TO PROVI SERVIC FOR A SAME-SEX WEDDG, ALLOW BS OWNERS TO ADOPT ANTI-TRANSGENR RTROOM POLICI, AND ALLOW STATE EMPLOYE TO RECE THEMSELV OM GRANTG MARRIAGE LICENS TO SAME-SEX UPL. IT IS, SOMMER’S TIMATN, A “PARTICULARLY VILENT EXAMPLE” OF THE ANTI-LGBT BACKLASH THAT LAMBDA LEGAL HAS BEEN WNSG SCE 2015’S OBERGEFELL V. HODG—A LAW THAT REF A MORE REFUL “BALANCG” OF RELIG EEDOM AND EQUAL PROTECTN.“THIS LAW DON’T DO THAT AT ALL,” SHE TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “IT CREAT THIS ABSOLUTE RIGHT OF ANYBODY VOKG SO MUCH AS A RELIG BELIEF—OR EVEN JT A MORAL NVICTN—AGAST THE MARRIAGE OF SAME-SEX UPL, OR AGAST TRANSGENR PEOPLE, AND GIV THEM A PLETELY EE PASS NO MATTER HOW MUCH OF A HARDSHIP THEY’RE FLICTG.”LAMBDA LEGAL JOED LOL CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEYS BAKER V. BRYANT DECEMBER 2016 AND HELPED ARGUE FAVOR OF THE JUNCTN APRIL OF THIS YEAR ON BEHALF OF 13 PLATIFFS: 12 DIVIDUALS AND ONE LGBT-AFFIRMG CHURCH. LAST THURSDAY, HOWEVER, THE 5TH CIRCU COURT OF APPEALS REVERSED THE JUNE 2016 JUNCTN, WH THREE JUDG LG THAT “THE PLATIFFS HAVE NOT SHOWN AN JURY--FACT ED BY HB 1523 THAT WOULD EMPOWER THE DISTRICT URT OR THIS URT TO LE ON S NSTUTNALY.”“I WAS VERY DISAPPOTED,” RELLED SOMMER. “I WAS NOT PLETELY SHOCKED THOUGH HAVG FEND THE ARGUMENT WH MY -UNSEL.”GOV. BRYANT CELEBRATED THE REVERSAL OF THE JUNCTN A STATEMENT, SAYG, “AS I HAVE SAID ALL ALONG, THE LEGISLATN IS NOT MEANT TO DISCRIMATE AGAST ANYONE, BUT SIMPLY PREVENTS ERNMENT TERFERENCE WH THE NSTUTNAL RIGHT TO EXERCISE SCERELY HELD RELIG BELIEFS.” SPOKPEOPLE FOR BRYANT DID NOT IMMEDIATELY RPOND TO A REQUT FOR FURTHER MENT ON MONDAY.SOMMER TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT LAMBDA LEGAL AND THEIR -UNSEL BAKER V. BRYANT PLAN TO FILE A PETN FOR AN EN BANC HEARG BEFORE THE FULL 5TH CIRCU COURT OF APPEALS BEFORE THE LAW N GO TO EFFECT. CONTRARY TO LAST WEEK’S REPORTS, HB 1523 HAS NOT GONE TO EFFECT JT YET; AS THE ASSOCIATED PRS NOTED, THAT TIMG WILL “PEND ON THE OUTE OF THOSE APPEALS.” THE 5TH CIRCU WILL FIRST HAVE TO CI WHETHER OR NOT TO GRANT THE EN BANC REQUT.SO FAR, THE MISSISSIPPI LAW HAS BEEN WILY CRICIZED BY BS LEARS, PECIALLY THE TECH DTRY. A HANDFUL OF STAT, CLUDG CALIFORNIA AND NEW YORK, HAVE BANNED NONSENTIAL ERNMENT EMPLOYEE TRAVEL TO MISSISSIPPI AS WELL. BUT PARED TO THE WISPREAD PUBLIC OUTRAGE DIRECTED AT THE INDIANA STATE ERNMENT 2015 OVER THEIR OWN “RELIG EEDOM” LAW, MISSISSIPPI’S HAS MATAED A LOWER PROFILE. WHETHER THAT’S DUE TO A DISTRACTG NEWS CYCLE OR THE FACT, AS SOMMER NOTED, THAT MISSISSIPPI IS LS OF A “CENTER OF MERCE AMERI” RELATIVE TO INDIANA, IS UNCLEAR. BUT AS SOMMER’S “TT BALLOON” ANALOGY MAK CLEAR, WHAT’S HAPPENG MISSISSIPPI WILL BY NO MEANS STAY MISSISSIPPI. OTHER STAT HAVE BEEN TTG THE OBERGEFELL LG ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, WH SOME PROMENT LEGAL CHALLENG ONLY NOW RISG TO THE SUPREME COURT LEVEL.FOR EXAMPLE, ARKANSAS DISVERED ON MONDAY THAT THE SUPREME COURT WOULD NOT ABI A STATE LAW REQUIRG SAME-SEX UPL TO GET A URT ORR FOR BOTH PARENTS TO BE LISTED ON THEIR CHILD’S BIRTH CERTIFITE. THE SUPREME COURT ALSO ANNOUNCED MONDAY WOULD HEAR THE POTENTIALLY PRECENT-SETTG SE OF A COLORADO MAN WHO REFED TO BAKE A KE FOR A GAY UPLE—A SE THAT WOULD HAVE DIRECT IMPLITNS FOR LAWS LIKE HB 1523.BUT NOW, ’S THE ARKANSAS LG THAT’S GIVG SOMMER HOPE FOR MISSISSIPPI.“I THK THAT [HB 1523] IS AN EFFORT TO NY SAME-SEX UPL EQUALY AND EQUAL TREATMENT, AND THE SUPREME COURT LG TODAY HELP SENDS A MSAGE THAT LAWS LIKE MISSISSIPPI’S WILL NOT PASS MTER,” SHE SAID. SAMANTHA ALLEN

MISSISSIPPI ENACTS LAW THAT ALLOWS NYG SERVIC TO GAYS

Another replit Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” Act.

MISSISSIPPI LAW ON SERVG GAYS PROV DIVISIVE

Supreme Court cled Monday to take up a legal battle over a Mississippi law that allows state employe and private bs to ny servic to LGBT people based on relig to law 2016 rponse to the Supreme Court's gay marriage lg, allows unty clerks to avoid issug marriage licens to gay upl and protects bs om lawsus if they refe to serve LGBT law was immediately challenged.

"But gay rights groups promised to ntue their efforts to get the law stck down. "We will keep fightg Mississippi until we overturn this harmful law, and any state where anti-gay legislators pass laws to roll back LGBT civil rights, " said Beth Ltrell of Lambda Legal. Geia Governor Nathan Deal said last month he would veto a bill recently passed by his state’s Republin-ntrolled legislature that would allow clergy to refe to perform gay marriag and protect people who refe to attend the ceremoni.

MISSISSIPPI’S ANTI-LGBT LAW IS WORSE THAN NORTH CAROLA’SHATE LAWTHE LAW WOULD ALLOW OPEN DISCRIMATN UNR THE GUISE OF RELIG PROTECTN. SAMANTHA ALLENUPDATED APR. 13, 2017 4:32PM EDT ROGEL V. SOLIS/APMISSISSIPPI IS ALREADY ONE OF THE WORST STAT FOR LGBT PEOPLE AMERI. NOW, IS ONE SIGNATURE AWAY OM NOT JT ALLOWG, BUT OPENLY ENDORSG DISCRIMATN.WHILE PUBLIC ATTENTN WAS SQUARELY FOCED ON THE RECENT ANTI-LGBT LAW NORTH CAROLA—THE FIRST THE UNTRY TO REGULATE TRANSGENR PEOPLE’S E OF PUBLIC BATHROOMS BASED ON THEIR BIRTH CERTIFIT—THE MISSISSIPPI STATE LEGISLATURE WAS BY VOTG ON A BILL THAT WOULD TAKE THE STATE BACK TO THE STONE AGE.THE BILL, HB 1523, EASILY PASSED THE MISSISSIPPI HOE AND SENATE AND NOW MT RETURN TO THE HOE FOR SOME REVISNS BEFORE HEADG TO GOVERNOR PHIL BRYANT’S SK. THE REPUBLIN ERNOR HAS SAID THAT HE “WILL REVIEW IF AND WHEN ARRIV ON HIS SK.”HB 1523 WOULD EXPRSLY ALLOW BS AND PUBLIC EMPLOYE TO DISCRIMATE AGAST LGBT PEOPLE BUT HAS BEEN AMED BY S SPONSOR, KIM DAVIS SUPERFAN REPRENTATIVE PHILIP GUNN, AS A PROTECTN OF THREE “SCERELY HELD RELIG BELIEFS.” THE BELIEFS ARE THAT MARRIAGE IS BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN, SEXUAL RELATNS SHOULD ONLY OCCUR WH A HETEROSEXUAL MARRIAGE, AND “BLOGIL SEX” NNOT BE CHANGED. ONLY TWO OF THE EMS QUALIFY AS BELIEFS: BLOGIL SEX CHARACTERISTICS N BE CHANGED WH HORMON AND SURGERY, AND THE BILL’S FN OF SEX TERMATN IS SCIENTIFILLY ACCURATE.BASED ON THE THREE “BELIEFS,” HB 1523, GRANTS FAR-REACHG PERMISSNS FOR SOCIAL WORKERS AND PRIVATE EMPLOYERS ALIKE TO NY SERVIC TO LGBT PEOPLE.FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE BILL GRANTS RELIG ANIZATNS IMMUNY OM STATE PUNISHMENT THE ARENAS OF EMPLOYMENT AND HOG. IT ALSO PROTECTS ANY DIVIDUAL WHO REF TO PROVI SERVIC—CLUDG “PHOTOGRAPHY, POETRY, VIOGRAPHY, DISC-JOCKEY SERVIC” AND “PASTRY ARTISTRY”—FOR SAME-SEX WEDDGS. AS FAR AS PROPOSED ANTI-LGBT LAWS GO, THE PROVISNS ARE FAIRLY STANDARD.BUT THE BILL ALSO SANCTNS AN EXTREME RANGE OF DISCRIMATN FAR OUTSI THE PURVIEW OF RELIG ANIZATNS. THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN (HRC) HAS LLED “APPALLG” AND “HORRIFIC.”HB 1523 WOULD SEEMGLY PROTECT FOSTER OR ADOPTIVE PARENTS WHO SUBJECT THEIR CHILDREN TO DANGERO NVERSN THERAPY BASED ON THE IA THAT THEY WISH TO “RAISE A CHILD BASED UPON OR A MANNER NSISTENT WH A SCERELY HELD RELIG BELIEF.” LIKE 45 OTHER STAT, MISSISSIPPI DO NOT PROHIB THE PRACTICE OF DANGERO AND BUNKED NVERSN THERAPY TECHNIQU ON MORS. HB 1523, THEN, WOULD ONLY EMBOLN PARENTS WHO SEEK TO VALIDATE THE INTY OF THEIR GAY OR TRANSGENR CHILDREN.UNLIKE THE NORTH CAROLA BILL, THE MISSISSIPPI LAW DO NOT EXPLICLY RTRICT TRANSGENR PEOPLE’S E OF PUBLIC ACMODATNS BUT DO GRANT BS, EMPLOYERS, AND SCHOOLS IMMUNY OM STATE ACTN IF THEY WISH TO TABLISH “SEX-SPECIFIC STANDARDS” FOR THEIR “TIMATE FACILI.” THIS WOULD MEAN THAT TRANSGENR PEOPLE’S RIGHT TO E THE BATHROOM THE STATE ULD LEGALLY VARY BY EMPLOYER, BY SCHOOL, AND EVEN BY BUILDG.THE BILL BARS ANY STATE PUNISHMENT FOR PHYSICIANS AND THERAPISTS WHO CLE TO PROVI TRANSGENR HEALTH RE. IN THEORY, THIS PROVISN ULD MAKE TRANSGENR HEALTH RE EVEN LS ACCSIBLE THAN IS AT PRENT. A RECENT SURVEY OF ENDOCROLOGISTS FOUND THAT A THIRD ARE UNWILLG TO OFFER HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY FOR TRANSGENR PATIENTS SPE THE EXISTENCE OF ENDOCRE SOCIETY GUIL AND CLEAR STANDARDS OF RE OM THE WORLD PROFSNAL ASSOCIATN OF TRANSGENR HEALTH (WPATH).IF BE LAW, HB 1523 WOULD ALSO ALLOW FERTILY CLICS TO NY SERVIC SUCH AS VRO FERTILIZATN (IVF) TO SAME-SEX UPL BASED ON A “SCERELY HELD RELIG BELIEF.”FALLY, THE BILL WOULD PERM MARRIAGE CLERKS, JUDG, AND MAGISTRAT TO RECE THEMSELV OM PROVIDG MARRIAGE LICENS TO SAME-SEX UPL OR SOLEMNIZG THEIR WEDDGS. IN EFFECT, THE BILL SPECIFI THAT THE ERNMENT EMPLOYE NNOT BE PENALIZED BY THE STATE FOR REFG TO DO THEIR JOBS.NOT ONLY IS THIS BILL MEAN-SPIRED, IS PLETELY UNNECSARY TO LEGALIZE ANTI-LGBT DISCRIMATN MISSISSIPPI. ANTI-LGBT DISCRIMATN IS ALREADY LEGAL MISSISSIPPI.THE STATEWI NON-DISCRIMATN LAW DO NOT CLU SEXUAL ORIENTATN OR GENR INTY AND NEHER DO S HATE CRIME LEGISLATN. MISSISSIPPI WAS THE LAST STATE THE UNTRY TO PROHIB ADOPTN BY SAME-SEX UPL, ONLY ENDG ENFORCEMENT OF S BAN WHEN A FERAL JUDGE LED UNNSTUTNAL THIS THURSDAY.IN 2014, MISSISSIPPI PASSED A RELIG FREEDOM RTORATN ACT (RFRA), WHICH ALLOWS ANY ANIZATN OR DIVIDUAL TO SUE OVER STATE LAWS THAT THEY PERCEIVE AS ATTACKS ON THEIR RELIG BELIEFS. THIS MEANS THAT EVEN IF MISSISSIPPI WERE TO PASS LEGISLATN PROTECTG LGBT PEOPLE, WOULD ALMOST CERTALY TRIGGER A WAVE OF LIGATN.LGBT ADVOT ARE RALLYG AGAST THE BILL BUT RECENT HISTORY NSERVATIVE STAT SUGGTS THAT ENOMIC PRSURE WOULD HELP PERSUA GOVERNOR BRYANT TO WHHOLD HIS SIGNATURE.INDIANA GOVERNOR MIKE PENCE SIGNED AN AMEND VERSN OF HIS STATE’S RFRA LAST APRIL AFTER BS OBJECTED TO THE ORIGAL LAW. GEIA GOVERNOR NATHAN DEAL VETOED HIS STATE’S ANTI-LGBT “RELIG EEDOM” BILL EARLIER THIS WEEK AFTER SUBSTANTIAL PRSURE OM THE NFL, THE FILM DTRY, AND OTHER PRIVATE TERTS. AND SCE SIGNG THE NORTH CAROLA ANTI-LGBT LAW, OVER 90 CEOS AND BS LEARS HAVE LLED FOR GOVERNOR PAT MCCRORY AND THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO REPEAL THE DISCRIMATORY LEGISLATN.WHETHER SUCH TACTICS WOULD WORK ON GOVERNOR BRYANT REMAS TO BE SEEN. BS INSIR RECENTLY RANKED THE MISSISSIPPI ENOMY 46TH THE UNTRY BASED ON S HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT AND LOWT--THE-UNTRY GDP PER PA. RETALIATN OM THE BS WORLD ULD SEVERELY IMPACT AN ALREADY STGGLG STATE.AS HRC PRINT CHAD GRIFF SAID, “MISSISSIPPI'S ENOMY AND S REPUTATN HANG THE BALANCE.” SAMANTHA ALLEN

As NPR's Caa Domonoske has reported, "many of the forms of discrimatn agast gay and trans people are currently legal Mississippi, and many other stat. For stance, bs owners Mississippi n already refe to bake a ke for a gay uple whout breakg the law. Appeals urt on Thursday lifted an junctn that blocked a Mississippi law allowg bs and ernment employe to ny servic to lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr people by cg relig beliefs.

MISSISSIPPI IS CLOSE TO ENACTG AMERI’S MOST ANTI-LGBT LAWUGLYTHE MISSISSIPPI LAW, HB 1523, GRANTS BROAD PERMISSN TO DISCRIMATE AGAST LGBT PEOPLE, OSTENSIBLY TO PROTECT THE ‘EE EXERCISE OF RELIG BELIEFS.’SAMANTHA ALLENUPDATED JUN. 27, 2017 9:41AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEASTMISSISSIPPI’S HB 1523 HAS BEEN LLED THE “WORST ANTI-LGBT LAW AMERI.” NOW, AFTER THE 5TH CIRCU UPHELD THE LAW LAST THURSDAY, ULD FALLY GO TO EFFECT.SAN SOMMER, DIRECTOR OF NSTUTNAL LIGATN FOR THE LGBT ADVOCY ANIZATN LAMBDA LEGAL, SAYS ’S ONLY A TASTE OF CHALLENG TO E A POST-OBERGEFELL UNTRY, AND SCRIB THE LAW AS A 'TT BALLOON'. HB 1523, SIGNED BY MISSISSIPPI GOV. PHIL BRYANT APRIL OF LAST YEAR BUT PREVENTED OM GOG TO EFFECT BY A JUNE 2016 JUNCTN THE SE BAKER V. BRYANT, GRANTS BROAD PERMISSN TO DISCRIMATE AGAST LGBT PEOPLE, OSTENSIBLY TO PROTECT THE “EE EXERCISE OF RELIG BELIEFS.”IT DO SO BY LERALLY WRG ANTI-LGBT “RELIG BELIEFS” AND “MORAL NVICTNS” TO STATE LAW, NAMELY THE BELIEFS THAT “MARRIAGE IS OR SHOULD BE REGNIZED AS THE UNN OF ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN” AND THAT “MALE (MAN) OR FEMALE (WOMAN) REFER TO AN DIVIDUAL’S IMMUTABLE BLOGIL SEX AS OBJECTIVELY TERMED BY ANATOMY AND GEICS AT TIME OF BIRTH.” THE MEASURE ALSO CREAT ROOM TO DISCRIMATE AGAST PEOPLE WHO ENGAGE PREMARAL SEX— OTHER WORDS, ALMOST EVERYONE.THE LAW WOULD NOT ONLY GRANT RELIG ANIZATNS EEDOM TO DISCRIMATE BASED ON THE BELIEFS, ALSO APPLI TO DIVIDUALS AND STATE EMPLOYE. AMONG MANY OTHER THGS, WOULD EXPRSLY ALLOW PEOPLE TO REFE TO PROVI SERVIC FOR A SAME-SEX WEDDG, ALLOW BS OWNERS TO ADOPT ANTI-TRANSGENR RTROOM POLICI, AND ALLOW STATE EMPLOYE TO RECE THEMSELV OM GRANTG MARRIAGE LICENS TO SAME-SEX UPL. IT IS, SOMMER’S TIMATN, A “PARTICULARLY VILENT EXAMPLE” OF THE ANTI-LGBT BACKLASH THAT LAMBDA LEGAL HAS BEEN WNSG SCE 2015’S OBERGEFELL V. HODG—A LAW THAT REF A MORE REFUL “BALANCG” OF RELIG EEDOM AND EQUAL PROTECTN.“THIS LAW DON’T DO THAT AT ALL,” SHE TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “IT CREAT THIS ABSOLUTE RIGHT OF ANYBODY VOKG SO MUCH AS A RELIG BELIEF—OR EVEN JT A MORAL NVICTN—AGAST THE MARRIAGE OF SAME-SEX UPL, OR AGAST TRANSGENR PEOPLE, AND GIV THEM A PLETELY EE PASS NO MATTER HOW MUCH OF A HARDSHIP THEY’RE FLICTG.”LAMBDA LEGAL JOED LOL CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEYS BAKER V. BRYANT DECEMBER 2016 AND HELPED ARGUE FAVOR OF THE JUNCTN APRIL OF THIS YEAR ON BEHALF OF 13 PLATIFFS: 12 DIVIDUALS AND ONE LGBT-AFFIRMG CHURCH. LAST THURSDAY, HOWEVER, THE 5TH CIRCU COURT OF APPEALS REVERSED THE JUNE 2016 JUNCTN, WH THREE JUDG LG THAT “THE PLATIFFS HAVE NOT SHOWN AN JURY--FACT ED BY HB 1523 THAT WOULD EMPOWER THE DISTRICT URT OR THIS URT TO LE ON S NSTUTNALY.”“I WAS VERY DISAPPOTED,” RELLED SOMMER. “I WAS NOT PLETELY SHOCKED THOUGH HAVG FEND THE ARGUMENT WH MY -UNSEL.”GOV. BRYANT CELEBRATED THE REVERSAL OF THE JUNCTN A STATEMENT, SAYG, “AS I HAVE SAID ALL ALONG, THE LEGISLATN IS NOT MEANT TO DISCRIMATE AGAST ANYONE, BUT SIMPLY PREVENTS ERNMENT TERFERENCE WH THE NSTUTNAL RIGHT TO EXERCISE SCERELY HELD RELIG BELIEFS.” SPOKPEOPLE FOR BRYANT DID NOT IMMEDIATELY RPOND TO A REQUT FOR FURTHER MENT ON MONDAY.SOMMER TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT LAMBDA LEGAL AND THEIR -UNSEL BAKER V. BRYANT PLAN TO FILE A PETN FOR AN EN BANC HEARG BEFORE THE FULL 5TH CIRCU COURT OF APPEALS BEFORE THE LAW N GO TO EFFECT. CONTRARY TO LAST WEEK’S REPORTS, HB 1523 HAS NOT GONE TO EFFECT JT YET; AS THE ASSOCIATED PRS NOTED, THAT TIMG WILL “PEND ON THE OUTE OF THOSE APPEALS.” THE 5TH CIRCU WILL FIRST HAVE TO CI WHETHER OR NOT TO GRANT THE EN BANC REQUT.SO FAR, THE MISSISSIPPI LAW HAS BEEN WILY CRICIZED BY BS LEARS, PECIALLY THE TECH DTRY. A HANDFUL OF STAT, CLUDG CALIFORNIA AND NEW YORK, HAVE BANNED NONSENTIAL ERNMENT EMPLOYEE TRAVEL TO MISSISSIPPI AS WELL. BUT PARED TO THE WISPREAD PUBLIC OUTRAGE DIRECTED AT THE INDIANA STATE ERNMENT 2015 OVER THEIR OWN “RELIG EEDOM” LAW, MISSISSIPPI’S HAS MATAED A LOWER PROFILE. WHETHER THAT’S DUE TO A DISTRACTG NEWS CYCLE OR THE FACT, AS SOMMER NOTED, THAT MISSISSIPPI IS LS OF A “CENTER OF MERCE AMERI” RELATIVE TO INDIANA, IS UNCLEAR. BUT AS SOMMER’S “TT BALLOON” ANALOGY MAK CLEAR, WHAT’S HAPPENG MISSISSIPPI WILL BY NO MEANS STAY MISSISSIPPI. OTHER STAT HAVE BEEN TTG THE OBERGEFELL LG ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, WH SOME PROMENT LEGAL CHALLENG ONLY NOW RISG TO THE SUPREME COURT LEVEL.FOR EXAMPLE, ARKANSAS DISVERED ON MONDAY THAT THE SUPREME COURT WOULD NOT ABI A STATE LAW REQUIRG SAME-SEX UPL TO GET A URT ORR FOR BOTH PARENTS TO BE LISTED ON THEIR CHILD’S BIRTH CERTIFITE. THE SUPREME COURT ALSO ANNOUNCED MONDAY WOULD HEAR THE POTENTIALLY PRECENT-SETTG SE OF A COLORADO MAN WHO REFED TO BAKE A KE FOR A GAY UPLE—A SE THAT WOULD HAVE DIRECT IMPLITNS FOR LAWS LIKE HB 1523.BUT NOW, ’S THE ARKANSAS LG THAT’S GIVG SOMMER HOPE FOR MISSISSIPPI.“I THK THAT [HB 1523] IS AN EFFORT TO NY SAME-SEX UPL EQUALY AND EQUAL TREATMENT, AND THE SUPREME COURT LG TODAY HELP SENDS A MSAGE THAT LAWS LIKE MISSISSIPPI’S WILL NOT PASS MTER,” SHE SAID. SAMANTHA ALLEN

By Letia Ste (Rters) - Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant on Tuday signed a far-reachg law allowg people wh relig objectns to ny weddg servic to same-sex upl and protectg other actns nsired discrimatory by gay rights measure also clears the way for employers to ce relign termg workplace polici on drs , groomg and bathroom and locker accs, drawg cricism om civil rights, a Republin, said a statement he signed the law “to protect scerely held relig beliefs and moral nvictns of dividuals, anizatns and private associatns om discrimatory actn by state ernment.

”Mississippi is the latt state drawg natnal prott for a law seen as anti-lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr (LGBT). We will keep fightg Mississippi until we overturn this harmful law, and any state where antigay legislators pass laws to roll back LGBT civil rights. AdvertisementSKIP Patterson/Associated PrsApril 14, 2016To hear some supporters tell , a measure signed to law last week Mississippi do ltle more than let bakers reject weddg ke orrs om same-sex s provisns allowg people wh relig objectns to ny certa servic to gay upl have igned fierce opposn, wh some crics portrayg them as a ee pass to open-end Mississippi measure, the latt a wave of siar legislative efforts across the untry, has turned a harsh natnal spotlight on the state, as gay rights anizatns, several major pani and at least five other stat have publicly nounced Phil Bryant has strongly fend the law, known officially as the Protectg Freedom of Conscience om Government Discrimatn Act, by argug that was drafted the “most targeted manner possible.