Gay about controversial law sparks protest in the United States

Gay couple: US law allows companies to refuse to meet gay

The new law on gay and transgender approved by the US state of Mississippi, is causing protests in the United States.

Call Religious Freedom Act stipulates that the state will not punish people who refuse to provide services to gay or transgender, provided that they have to justify religious reasons.

Adopted on 5 April, the law has caused controversy in the country. In practice, says the presenter Rachel Maddow, MSNBC television network, the measure allows a restaurant, for example, put a sign on the door: "We do not serve gay or transgender."

Passage of the law was considered "discriminatory" by groups advocating gay rights, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT).

According to these groups, under the new legislation, religion can be used by any individual or organization to justify discrimination against LGBT people, single mothers and unmarried couples.

Directors of companies conducting business in Mississippi are requesting that the government repeal the new law, because of the risk of the state losing investments.

Executives of Coca-Cola company, Northrop Grumman, Intel and Hartford signed an open letter last week to the governor of Mississippi, Phil Bryant, requesting the repeal of the law. Bryant, however, does not seem inclined to revoke the legal instrument.

"The law aims to protect the sincere religious beliefs and moral convictions of individuals, private organizations and associations of discriminatory action by the state government."

According to him, the new legislation does not conflict with federal laws or the Constitution. "The law is designed in a more direct way possible to avoid government interference in people's lives from which all the power of the state is derived," he said.

Main points

The law says, in the first paragraph that the measure aims to give citizens and religious organizations protect their "sincere religious or moral convictions."

In section 2, points out that the moral and religious principles protected by the new legal instrument are: marriage is between a man and a woman; sexual relations are reserved exclusively for the wedding; and male and female terms relate only to genetics and anatomy of a person at birth.

The law says, in section 3, that the state can not take measures discriminate against religious organizations that refuse to celebrate marriages based on religious or moral convictions.

In the same section adds that companies can refuse to rent or sell property to people, also based on religious or moral principles.

Medical professionals are allowed to refuse to participate in treatment, counseling and related surgery "sex change or gender transition, identity."


According to section 3, the new law allows professionals to refuse to provide the following services based on religious beliefs: DJs, photographers and vídeosmakers, poets, wedding planners, editors, florists, invitation printers, designers, confectioners of cake or pastry, limousine drivers and rented cars and jewelry vendors.