Arizona Gov, Jan Brewer, under pressure from those in both the Democratic and Republican parties, even from those who voted for the measure, has vetoed a controversial bill that would have allowed discrimination against LGBTs in the name of religious freedom.
Also see related coverage at the link: www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/AZ-Gov-Jan-Brewer-vetos-religious-bias-bill/46410.html .]
She said she spoke to lawyers, politicians and citizens in coming to the conclusion. She said it does not address a specific concern that was happening, and that because it is broadly worded it could result in unintended and negative consequences.
The crowd outside erupted in cheers as soon as she announced her decision at the press conference inside.
Hundreds of businesses and organizations spoke out against Senate Bill 1062, which would have amended Arizona's Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Human Rights Watch stated: "Arizona state antidiscrimination law does not protect people against discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. However, the cities of Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Tucson have passed local ordinances prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. If signed, the law would not only allow businesses and individuals to refuse services to LGBT people, as well as those who are perceived to be LGBT, it would also permit them to use religious beliefs as a defense against claims of discrimination based on sexual orientation, even in cities that have prohibited such discrimination."
The proposed Arizona law is similar to measures seeking to permit discrimination against LGBT people on religious grounds that have recently been introduced in several other states, including Kansas, Idaho, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. Arizona's state legislature is the only one to have approved such a measure, Human Rights Watch said.
The law would have set back progress established by landmark U.S. civil-rights cases such as Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. United States, Human Rights Watch said. That case upheld key provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and prohibited places of public accommodation from refusing services based upon an individual's race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.
Even major sports leagues opposed the measure, including the National Football League and Major League Baseball. The San Francisco Giants tweeted "plz come out against the horrific segregationist Arizona anti-gay bill."
"As the sport of Jackie Robinson, Major League Baseball and its 30 Clubs stand united being the principles of respect, inclusion and acceptance," MLB said in opposing the law.
Former Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain ( Arizona ) also opposed the measure.
Apple, American Express, Starwood Hotel and Resorts, Intel, PetSmart, Delta Airlines and American Airlines were among the corporations fighting the measure.
Delta stated: "As a global values-based company, Delta Air Lines is proud of the diversity of its customers and employees, and is deeply concerned about proposed measures in several states, including Georgia and Arizona, that would allow businesses to refuse service to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. If passed into law, these proposals would cause significant harm to many people and will result in job losses. They would also violate Delta's core values of mutual respect and dignity shared by our 80,000 employees worldwide and the 165 million customers we serve every year. Delta strongly opposes these measures and we join the business community in urging state officials to reject these proposals."
Arizona business groups opposing the bill include Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Arizona Technology Council, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Arizona Chamber of Commerce, Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce and Greater Phoenix Leadership.
Responses to the veto were swift from organizations working on LGBT rights.
"Discrimination has no place in Arizona, or anywhere else," said Alessandra Soler, executive director of the ACLU of Arizona. "We're grateful that the governor has stopped this disgraceful law from taking effect, and that Arizona will remain open for business to everyone."
We strongly support the right of every person to exercise their religious beliefs, but religious freedom doesn't give any of us the right to harm others," said Eunice Rho, advocacy and policy counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union. "The massive public opposition to this, as well as several other failed bills across the country, shows that Americans of all political persuasions and religions feel the same way."
"Discrimination is not an American value, plain and simple," said GLAAD CEO and President Sarah Kate Ellis. "Governor Brewer today demonstrated that basic respect for LGBT people extends across party lines, and anti-LGBT bias isn't just bad politics, it's bad for business. As other states consider similar laws that aim only to make LGBT people's lives more difficult, legislators would do well to remember that anti-LGBT laws just won't be tolerated."
"With today's veto, Governor Brewer spared her state from institutional discrimination and economic catastrophe. Make no mistake, there is no better way to doom jobs in a state than by signing license-to-discriminate bills," said Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin. "The bipartisan outpouring of opposition to this bill is all the proof you need that this country isn't turning backwards. Governor Brewer did the right thing in stopping this assault on businesses and the LGBT community and we call on her and the legislature—and governors and legislators in other states—to resist any attempt to give license to discrimination."
On the day of the veto, Feb. 26, HRC delivered 65,000 petition signatures to Gov. Brewer calling on her to veto the bill
"Gov. Jan Brewer avoided going down in history as 'Jan Crow' by wisely vetoing this wolf in sheep's clothing," said Truth Wins Out's Executive Director Wayne Besen. "If this bill had become law, it would have been a disaster for Arizona's reputation and severely tarnished the governor's legacy.
"This was a major defeat for what has become a concerted Hail Mary campaign to carve out special rights for religious conservatives so that they don't have to play by the same rules as everyone else does," said Evan Hurst, Truth Wins Out's Associate Director. "In this new up-is-down world, anti-gay religious folks are 'practicing their faith' when they're baking cakes or renting out hotel rooms to travelers. On the ground, these bills hurt real, live LGBT people."
"We thank Governor Brewer for her decision to veto this outrageous measure — a law that if enacted would be bad for Arizona people and the Arizona economy," saidRea Carey, executive director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund. "In doing so, she has stopped a bill that both cynically uses religion as a smokescreen to justify discrimination and insults people of faith who feel that discrimination is morally wrong. This decision sends a clear message that extremism is totally unacceptable to people of all political persuasions."
GLAAD published a list of businesses opposing the measure here www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/Gov_Brewer_Veto_Letter.w_Signatures.pdf .
The letter they signed read in part: "This legislation is frivolous, unnecessary and fiscally perilous. Arizona business owners already have the right to refuse business to anyone. There is no need for this legislation, and we believe it is attempting to fix a problem that doesn't exist."
The companies who sign on to the letter were:
4D Technology Corporation
4SmartPhone, Inc.
Access Arizona
Arizona Bioindustry Association, Inc.
Arizona Hispanic Chamber of
Commerce
Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association
Arizona Technology Council
Aspect Software
AT&T Arizona/New Mexico
Axosoft
Benchmark Performance Strategies
BioAccel
Blockwise Engineering, LLC
Breault Research Organizations, Inc.
Calibrus
Castelazo Content
KEO Marketing Inc.
Coalition for a Connected West
Colnatec
Darling Geomatics
Digital Financial Group
Double Tree Suites by Hilton Phoenix
DrivingMBA
Eagle Creek Software Services
Enchantment Group
Fairmont Scottsdale Princess
Flagstaff Lodging and Restaurant
Association
Goodmans Interior Structures
Greater Phoenix Economic Council
Growth Nation
Guided Therapy Systems LLC
HartSCI LLC
Hensley Beverage Company
Hildeez Enterprises, Inc.
Hilton Phoenix/Mesa
Ideality, Inc.
ImpaQ Solutions, LLC
InMedia
International Research Center
IO Data Centers
Lane Terralever
Local First Arizona
MassMutual Financial Group - Arizona
Miss Details Design
MMS Technologies
MOBinnov
NextNet Partners
NSB/Keane
onTop Technology Corp.
Penwortham Enterprises LLC
PetSmart
Pinnacle Aerospace Inc.
Pinnacle Peak Marketing
Plexlane
Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort
Ponderosa Hotel Management Services,
LLC
Rancho de los Cabballeros
Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel
Residence Inn Marriott
Rippcord Franchise Consulting
SARSEF and SciEn TeK-12 Foundation
Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau
Sedona Rouge
Signature Technology Group, Inc.
Solstice Capital
Sonoran Studios
Studio Z Marketing
Symmetry Software
TASER International Inc.
TechThinQ
Tempe Tourism Office
Tempo Creative
The Board Institute, Inc.
TraCorp
Transition Execs, LLC
Tru Cab & Tru Limo
Tucson Embedded Systems Inc.
Urias Communications
Valley Book Blog
VISIT PHOENIX
Westin Phoenix Downtown
Westin Kierland Resort, Spa & Villas
Xclusive Enterprises LLC
