A demonstrator against the gay marriage amendment waves a "rainbow" Georgia flag at a rally in support of the amendment on the Capitol steps during tandem demonstrations for and against the amendment in Atlanta, Monday, March 1, 2004. The two groups were kept apart by law enforcement officers. (AP Photo/Ric Feld)On Monday, March 28, Governor Nathan Deal of Georgia announced that he will veto the state’s
“religious liberty” bill that would have allowed faith-based organizations to deny services to those who violate their “sincerely held religious belief”, as well as fire employees who did not comply with those beliefs. The bill had garnered much criticism from gay rights groups, pressure to not become law from major businesses, and support from religious conservatives. We wholeheartedly agree with Governor Deal’s caution toward governmental intrusion over the negative liberties protecting conscience enshrined in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. His commitment to acknowledging the inequality and discrimination that Georgia’s LGBT community faces is laudable.
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