News & Commentary

Change is always discussed and planned during an election year. Right now, across the entire country, people are marching, demonstrating and protestin

Many of us have seen and heard the commentary regarding House Bill 1523, the Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act. Some of us have noted that the bill is discrimination codified. Others have pointed out that the intended adverse impact on the LGBT community is hurtful. Not all of us realize that the negative effects of HB1523 extend beyond the intentional harm to our LGBT brethren. HB1523 hits home in communities of color, impoverished communities, and already vulnerable communities with consequences that create additional risks. As many others have already said, the same prose that our state leadership is using to describe this bill has also been used to justify slavery, women's suffrage, and Jim Crow. Don’t be fooled by the rhetoric. HB 1523 is not narrowly tailored, does not protect one’s religious freedom, and will not protect you from a lawsuit. It is state-sponsored discrimination – plain and simple. House Bill 1523 puts everyone at risk, including the black community.

 

By Jennifer Riley-Collins, Executive Director

Published in the Jackson Advocate.

By Todd Allen, Equality Advocacy Coordinator

The Mississippi State Legislature and Governor Phil Bryant have set Mississippi back to an era that treated some citizens as "less than" with the passage of House Bill 1523, again cloaking the state in a reputation of hate. The mounting fallout includes bans on official business travel, businesses taking a stand against the bill, and more. Take a look:

With increasing frequency, we are seeing individuals and institutions claiming a right to discriminate—by refusing to provide services to women and LGBT people—based on religious objections. The discrimination takes many forms, including the following: