UPDATE: Hours after faith leaders, advocates, and lawmakers convened at the State House to make the case for an LGBT-inclusive civil rights law, Rep. Stacey Evans introduced two measures aimed at addressing discrimination in Georgia. House Resolution 404 is a bipartisan bill that would create a committee to study the need for an updated civil rights law. House Bill 488 goes one step further and seeks to write comprehensive, LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination protections into state law.

Now, for the first time in Georgia history, LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination legislation is moving on two tracks in the House and the Senate (where SB 119—legislation that would protect LGBT people and others from discrimination in housing, employment, and public places—was introduced several weeks ago).

Click here to contact your Representatives and urge them to support HR 404 and HB 488.

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A group of Georgia lawmakers, faith leaders and other supporters of equality gathered at the capitol today to make the case for legislation that would update our state’s outdated civil rights measures and extend non-discrimination protections to all Georgians—including people of faith and LGBT people.

The afternoon’s press conference was partially a response to Senate Bill 233—RFRA legislation introduced on Tuesday that claims to protect “religious freedom” when in reality it is no more than a thinly veiled attempt to give people a license to discriminate by simply citing their “religious beliefs.”

Not only is the legislation unnecessary—religious freedom is already firmly protected by the Georgia and United States Constitutions—it is already stirring up controversy under the Gold Dome. And today, Republican Governor Nathan Deal made it clear that he will veto the harmful legislation if its reaches his desk.

While anti-LGBT RFRA bills continue to divide, today speakers highlighted the fact that non-discrimination protections enjoy broad appeal in Georgia. One focal point of today’s event was a new poll from the Project Right Side Foundation (PDF) that shows nearly 75 percent of Georgians support passing a comprehensive non-discrimination law that protects LGBT people.

Our own @JeffGrahamAtl cites Republican study: “3 out of 4 people support #LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination protections.” #GAPol pic.twitter.com/ZgeAj393gH

— Georgia Unites (@GeorgiaUnites) February 23, 2017

Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality, said the poll represented a “tipping point,” and that Georgians are more ready than ever to pass these protections.

“It’s clear that public support is behind efforts to update our laws so that everyone—regardless of their faith, sexual orientation, or gender identity—is protected from discrimination. This week alone, we saw that more than 600 businesses in Georgia have joined a coalition aimed at advancing nondiscrimination. Seventy-four percent of Georgians and even 63 percent of Republicans support a state nondiscrimination law. We have support from across the state, and we’re eager to translate that into real momentum that can advance this conversation.”

The survey also found that there is supermajority support for such a measure across the board, regardless of political affiliation.

This broad support is exactly why, earlier in the day, Rep. Stacey Evans introduced a bipartisan House bill that would establish a study committee to further explore the need for a statewide civil rights law in Georgia. And lawmakers are continuing to highlight Senate Bill 119—a first-of-its-kind piece of legislation that, if passed, would ensure no Georgian can be fired, evicted or denied service in public places like parks, malls and restaurants because of their race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Rep. Sam Park announces introduction of a bipartisan resolution for a joint study cmte to consider #LGBT-inclusive civil rights legislation. pic.twitter.com/jZiBySvvc0

— Georgia Unites (@GeorgiaUnites) February 23, 2017

“Jesus calls us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Do unto others as you would like to be treated.” -Rev. Kimberly Jackson pic.twitter.com/jxvsq8Knng

— Georgia Unites (@GeorgiaUnites) February 23, 2017

For years, Georgia has been embroiled in a divisive debate over so-called “religious liberty” bills. This year, the state has the opportunity to chart a new path forward—and focus at the State House on legislation to advance civil rights protections is a positive step forward

Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed HB 757—a dangerously broad RFRA bill that gave sweeping license to discriminate—last year after hundreds of business and community leaders and thousands of grassroots advocates made him aware of the legislation’s burdensome economic and human cost. SB 233 echoes the early stages of HB 757 and poses the same risks,  leaving LGBT Georgians more vulnerable to discrimination than they already are, and the state of Georgia more vulnerable to national scorn and corrosive economic boycotts.

Today’s news makes it clear that Georgians will push back on this discriminatory bill. Click here to get a head start: Send a message to your Senators and let them know you strongly oppose SB 233—and urge them to oppose this dangerous License to Discriminate bill, too.

New polling shows strong, bipartisan support for LGBT nondiscrimination protections in Georgia

ATLANTA –  Civil rights and religious leaders in Georgia are continuing their push to update the state’s outdated civil rights measures and extend nondiscrimination protections to all Georgians – including people of faith and LGBT people. Georgia Equality Executive Director Jeff Graham joined Andrea Young from the ACLU of Georgia, State Rep. Sam Park, and faith leaders from multiple backgrounds at the state capitol today. The event came the same day that Rep. Stacey Evans introduced a bipartisan measure in the House that would establish a study committee to further explore the need for nondiscrimination protections in Georgia.

New polling unveiled at today’s press event shows that any measures advancing nondiscrimination protections for LGBT people enjoys strong popular support in Georgia. According to a new poll from the Project Right Side Foundation, nearly 75 percent of Georgians support a comprehensive nondiscrimination law that protects LGBT people. The survey also found that there is supermajority support for such a measure across the board, regardless of political party:

• 88 percent of Democrats support a statewide nondiscrimination law
• 73 percent of independents support a statewide nondiscrimination law
• 63 percent of Republicans support a statewide nondiscrimination law

“We’re at a tipping point in Georgia, and it’s clear that public support is behind efforts to update our laws so that everyone – regardless of their faith, sexual orientation, or gender identity – is protected from discrimination,” said Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality. “This week alone, we saw that more than 600 businesses in Georgia have joined a coalition aimed at advancing nondiscrimination. Seventy-four percent of Georgians and even 63 percent of Republicans support a state nondiscrimination law. We have support from across the state, and we’re eager to translate that into real momentum that can advance this conversation.”

Today’s press event comes days after State Sen. Marty Harbin introduced an unnecessary religious exemptions bill – immediately bringing back memories of the public fight over HB 757 last year, which ended with Governor Nathan Deal vetoing the discriminatory legislation. The event also comes less than 24 hours after the Trump administration rescinded non-binding Title IX guidance, which urged schools to ensure transgender students could access the bathrooms aligned with their gender identity.

“It’s a challenging time for LGBT people, particularly transgender youth,” added Graham. “At times like this, we have a responsibility to remind those in our community – especially young people – that they are supported and valued, and that they deserve fairness and equality under the law, just like everyone else. Advancing a bipartisan conversation in Georgia about nondiscrimination protections would send an important message to LGBT people in our state, at an urgent moment.”

On Tuesday, the Department of Justice in tandem with the Department of Education rescinded guidance protecting transgender students from discrimination.

In May of last year, the Obama administration issued federal guidance prohibiting discrimination against transgender students and instructing public schools to allow these students to use the restroom that aligns with the gender they live every day.

This move was more a symbolic gesture than an ultimatum, indicating the administration’s alignment with case study that shows Title IX protections prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex also apply to transgender people. The guidance sent a strong signal to transgender students: We affirm you, we recognize your dignity, and you deserve to be treated equally and with respect.

But now, Trump’s Department of Justice and Department of Education have circulated a letter rescinding this federal decree, and thereby sending an equally potent message to transgender students across America: Your safety and equal treatment is NOT a priority for the federal government.

This move bodes ominously for transgender youth and LGBT Americans at large, who are still waiting for signals about how the Trump administration plans to address issues of LGBT civil rights.

But, the revocation of the Obama administration guidance does not undo legal protections for transgender student. The Title IX non-discrimination clauses still protect transgender students—and there are legal organizations working to ensure these protections are upheld by schools across Georgia.

If you are a #trans student and have experienced discrimination we want to hear from you: https://t.co/uqYhayBvmq pic.twitter.com/VCbxoSqPql

— Georgia Unites (@GeorgiaUnites) August 23, 2016

But as the federal government takes backward steps on transgender protections, Georgia has the opportunity to take our state forward and chart a new course by advancing LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination legislation.

In the past weeks, members of the Senate Black Caucus formally announced the introduction of SB 119—the first ever comprehensive and fully-inclusive civil rights bill in Georgia.

According to our report, Liberty & Justice in Georgia, Georgia is one of only five states without a statewide non-discrimination law. If passed, SB 119 would prohibit discrimination in housing, employment, public places and other areas on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.

As federal protections for LGBT Americans hang in the balance, it is important that our state lawmakers take action to affirm the equal rights and dignity of our gay and transgender neighbors and friends.

If you agree, click here to sign the pledge in support of LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination legislation now.

CLICK HERE to read the article at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Legislation reigniting the fight over religious freedom has been filed in the Georgia Senate, but Gov. Nathan Deal’s office made it clear Tuesday it will meet the same fate as its predecessor a year ago if it passes.

Sen. Marty Harbin, R-Tyrone, on Tuesday filed Senate Bill 233, which stops far short of the wide-ranging “religious liberty” bill that Deal vetoed in 2016. Harbin’s bill says that the language in the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act would also apply in Georgia.

Supporters say Harbin’s bill is needed because the Supreme Court ruled in 1997 that the federal law, passed under a Democratic-controlled Congress and signed by a Democratic president, only restricts the federal government’s ability to intrude on an individual’s religious freedom. Dozens of states have since passed their own versions to cover actions by state governments.

But Chris Riley, Deal’s chief of staff, is unmoved.

“Everything that needs to be said on this issue was said in the veto statement last March,” Riley said.

Harbin did not respond to requests for comment.

In his 2016 veto message, Deal said, “Our actions on HB 757 are not just about protecting the faith-based community or providing a business friendly climate for job growth in Georgia. This is about the character of our state and the character of its people.”

Deal faced tremendous pressure last year from the business community and gay rights organizations that said the bill would lead to discrimination, as well as from fellow Republicans and religious conservatives who said their rights and way of life were under siege from secularists who demanded they leave their faith at home.

In one short sentence, Harbin’s bill says Georgia should apply in similar fashion the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The federal statutes requires the government to prove a “compelling governmental interest” before it interferes with a person’s exercise of religion.

Harbin has the signatures of 20 Republican senators as co-sponsors. Missing, however, are any Senate leaders. Still, Harbin is likely to win some converts because the bill is more narrow than the 2016 measure, which would have also allowed faith-based organizations to deny services to those who violate their “sincerely held religious belief” and preserved their right to fire employees who aren’t in accord with those beliefs.

“This bill is very narrowly tailored,” said Sen. Josh McKoon, R-Columbus, who has long been the public face of the religious liberty movement in the Statehouse. “I would hope it would get the respect of a committee hearing and move forward in the process.”

Some argue that the federal bill was developed not to protect dominant religions from having to honor practices with which they disagreed, but to protect Native Americans’ use of peyote in religious ceremonies and that the recent efforts to pass “religious liberty” bills in Georgia stem from the legalization of gay marriage.

Recent public opinion polling indicates that Georgians remain split on the issue. A January Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll found 44 percent of Georgia voters did not want lawmakers to take up the issue again this year. Forty-percent supported the effort. The difference is just within the poll’s margin of error.

Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality, said Harbin’s bill may seem simple, but because Georgia offers no LGBT civil rights protections, it could be used to discriminate.

“That is why we support comprehensive and inclusive protections that would protect people of faith, members of the LGBT community and others equally under the law,” Graham said.

Business groups quickly spoke out Tuesday against Harbin’s bill.

“Gov. Deal clearly stated in his veto statement last year why this type of legislation was already a constitutional right, unnecessary and would distract from our strong performance in creating new jobs in our state,” Katie Kirkpatrick, chief policy officer of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, and David Raynor, director of public policy at the Georgia Chamber, said in a joint statement.

There is no “new evidence to suggest this legislation is needed to strengthen a right guaranteed by our constitution,” they said, but noted that plenty of evidence exists to show the damage these types of bills can do to a state’s economy. North Carolina and other states have seen the loss of concerts, sporting events and, in some cases, jobs after passing legislation deemed discriminatory.

Mike Griffin, public affairs director for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, said he’s pleased to see the bill, which provides “very, very modest protections.”

“We believe Georgians are deserving of the same kind of protection that other states are afforded through this kind of legislation,” Griffin said.

Members of the Senate Black Caucus held a press conference today to formally announce the introduction of Senate Bill 119, known as the Georgia Civil Rights Act.

SB 119 is civil rights legislation that would secure non-discrimination protections for Georgians in several areas including housing, employment, and public places like parks, malls and restaurants. The legislation offers protections on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.

The bill is being sponsored by Senator Lester Jackson and five colleagues, Senators Vincent Fort, Horacena Tate, Valencia Seay, Steve Henson and Michael ‘Doc’ Rhett.

Georgia Senate Press conference this morning on SB119, comprehensive – Georgia Civil Rights Act protections for LGBT #gapol pic.twitter.com/EFexoVZomm

— Georgia Equality (@GAEquality) February 9, 2017

Sen. @Lester_Jackson introducing SB 119, the Georgia Civil Rights Act, during this morning's press conf #gapol #gasenate pic.twitter.com/C6R1GvM736

— Senate Press Office (@GASenatePress) February 9, 2017

SB 119 is the first-ever comprehensive and inclusive civil rights bill to be introduced in Georgia.

Georgia Unites would like to applaud the bill’s sponsors and co-sponsors for their leadership. These protections are long overdue—and according to a new report we released in January, more critical now than ever.

Georgia is one of only a handful of states that have no statewide civil rights laws prohibiting racial or religious discrimination. And because there are no state or federal nondiscrimination protections for LGBT people, they are the most vulnerable—so much so that nearly half of LGBT Georgians say they have been discriminated against at work.

Georgia Unites is urging other lawmakers to follow Sen. Jackson’s and his colleagues’ lead and support this legislation without delay.