Atlanta – Lawmakers on the Senate Rules Committee amended SB 284, Greg Kirk’s so-called “First Amendment Defense Act,” and in the process blatantly stepped over the line separating Church and State. The bill is now on a fast-track for the Senate floor.

The amended version of the legislation now includes language that explicitly allows both individuals and faith-based organizations the right to deny services to LGBT people and their families. The amended bill is an unprecedented assault on the separation of Church and State, allowing faith-based organizations that receive taxpayers funding to now legally discriminate against some of those very same taxpayers.

Jeff Graham released the following statement through the Georgia Unites coalition:

“This is a malicious bill that stands to harm not just gay and transgender Georgians, but so many others – including single mothers, unwed parents, people of other faiths and more. The freedom of religion is solidly protected under Georgia law and under the First Amendment of the Constitution, and no one is trying to change that. Let’s be very clear: the intention of this bill is to single out certain Georgians for discrimination.

“There’s a growing chorus of voices in our state for legislation that protects all Georgians, no matter who they are. Businesses big and small, Republicans, civil rights leaders and people of faith are all sending a clear message to lawmakers about the direction they want our state to move in. Unfortunately, some lawmakers today demonstrated their commitment to discriminatory legislation – even with our state’s reputation on the line. We urge lawmakers to think of the image this sends about Georgia to the rest of the nation, and to defeat this legislation.”