Plan B Forum

When Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal considers whether to block the contentious “religious liberty” bill, which effectively legalizes discrimination, he might want to consider something: Passage of House Bill 757 also likely means the city of Atlanta will not be given a Super Bowl any time soon, if ever.

That was made clear Friday when the NFL responded to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution query on whether the league had any position on the potential Georgia law.

League spokesman Brian McCarthy responded with this statement: “NFL policies emphasize tolerance and inclusiveness, and prohibit discrimination based on age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other improper standard. Whether the laws and regulations of a state and local community are consistent with these policies would be one of many factors NFL owners may use to evaluate potential Super Bowl host sites.”

Some statements require you to read between the lines.

Not that one.

The sports and political worlds often collide, as much as sports fans sometimes would prefer they don’t. Sports often has been at the forefront of social change, and I see nothing wrong with that or any athlete, team or league using their platform to push for what they believe is right.

The NFL wasn’t the only league to come out with a strong statement. Falcons owner Arthur Blank, the Braves and the Hawks also responded to AJC’s request for comment. (It’s worth noting the Falcons recently suffered national embarrassment when it was learned one of their assistant coaches asked a draft prospect, “Do you like men?”

• From Blank, who stands to lose a lot if he can’t hold major events like the Super Bowl in his new stadium in 2017: “One of my bedrock values is ‘Include Everyone’ and it’s a principle we embrace and strive to live each and every day with my family and our associates, a vast majority of which live and work in Georgia. I strongly believe a diverse, inclusive and welcoming Georgia is critical to our citizens and the millions of visitors coming to enjoy all that our great state has to offer. House Bill 757 undermines these principles and would have long-lasting negative impact on our state and the people of Georgia.”

• From the Braves organization: “The Atlanta Braves organization believes that House Bill 757 is detrimental to our community and bad for Georgia. Our organization believes in an environment that is inclusive of all people. In addition to allowing discrimination against citizens of this state, the bill will have a profoundly negative impact on our organization. As a Georgia business and employer, we proudly support Georgia Prospers in its goal to ensure that the state’s workplaces and communities are diverse and welcoming for all people, no matter one’s race, sex, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. We are proud to represent Georgia and are opposed to any law that endorses discrimination against anyone.”

• From the Hawks’ organization: “For generations, Atlanta has stood at the forefront of civil rights and its diversity is what has made this city a cultural leader in the Southeast. The Hawks strongly believe in the values of inclusion, diversity and equal rights, core principles by which we operate our business and are essential elements in making Atlanta a leading global city.”

The NCAA, which controls the site of the Final Four, also released a statement Friday night, saying in part it will “monitor current events, which include issues surrounding diversity, in all cities bidding on NCAA championships and events, as well as cities that have already been named as future host sites. Our commitment to the fair treatment of all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, has not changed and is at the core of our NCAA values. It is our expectation that all people will be welcomed and treated with respect in cities that host our NCAA championships and events.”

A loss of major sports events or a potential major hit to the economy shouldn’t be the main reason this legislation is shot down. But it’s a cold reality that some in the Georgia house may not have fully realized until now.

There is precedent for the league stripping a Super Bowl from a city for decisions in the political world. The Super Bowl following the 1992 season between the Dallas Cowboys and the Buffalo Bills was scheduled to be held at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. But the game was moved to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., because Arizona did not recognize the Martin Luther King holiday at the time.

Arizona might also have lost the right to host the Super Bowl following the 2014 season (February of 2015) when the state passed SB 1062, which was similar to Georgia legislation. The law was heavily criticized by civil rights groups, local businesses and the LGBT community and eventually was vetoed by Gov. Jan Brewer in February of 2014 — one year before the Super Bowl.

The NFL’s only official statement at the time was that it was “following the issue.” But Sports Illustrated reported that the league was considering moving the game to Tampa (the runner-up in the bid process) on short notice.

This is only the beginning.

Whether you agree with the legislation or not — and I don’t — there would be severe economic repercussions if this law passes. The three professional sports league — the NFL, Major League Baseball and NBA — all would balk at putting major events here, as possibly would the NCAA. Blank likely could say goodbye to the Final Four and other centerpiece events, too. Conventions likely would follow suit.

Georgia has stepped in it, whether those under the Gold Dome want to admit that or not.

Businesses threaten to leave Georgia if governor passes anti-gay bill

Several businesses have threatened to leave Georgia after the state legislature passed a contentious bill that critics say will let organizations discriminate against LGBT people. Governor Nathan Deal has until May 3 to decide, and that decision will have consequences whether he vetos the bill or signs it.

The bill, dubbed HB 757, would prohibit “any adverse action” against organizations or individuals with “a sincerely held belief regarding lawful marriage … between a man and a woman.” The bill’s supporters call it a “religious freedom” law. However, it has drawn concern from businesses who believe the state will become less competitive on several fronts. Opponents of the law consider it an anti-gay bill that allows people and companies to discriminate against LGBT people.

The CEOs of Salesforce and business telecommunications company 373K have threatened to take their business out of Georgia if Deal signs the bill. CBS News reports that 373K founder Kelvin Williams may move to another state, possibly Delaware or Nevada if the bill is signed.

Williams added, “For the past year we’ve been building a global carrier network. We have to start hiring more.” But the bill could make it more difficult to recruit workers. He added, “I can’t always find the perfect person in Georgia. I might have to reach out across the world. Would I want to move to Georgia if someone else offered me a job after this? The answer is no.”

Williams added that his staff voted to move the company’s headquarters if Gov. Deal signs the bill. The 373K founded added that the governor of Delaware called him personally to invite the company there.

The CEO of Salesforce, Marc Benioff also voiced his opposition to the bill, saying that the company will “reduce investments” in the state if the governor doesn’t veto the bill. When he heard the legislature passed the anti-gay bill, Benioff tweeted, “[Once] again Georgia is trying to pass laws that make it legal to discriminate. When will this insanity end?”

The company later issued a statement saying that it will reduce investments in the state, including moving one of its tech conferences away from Atlanta. A spokesman sent a statement to Business Insider, adding that “the legislation creates an environment of discrimination and makes the state of Georgia seem unwelcoming to same-sex couples and the LGBTQ community.”

Other business leaders who openly oppose the bill include Dell’s Michael Dell, Virgin Group’s Richard Branson, and Microsoft’s Brad Smith. Given the opposition and threats from businesses, it is unlikely Governor Deal will make his decision on the purportedly anti-gay bill soon.

The Walt Disney Company has become the first major studio to speak out against Georgia’s anti-LGBT ‘license to discriminate' bill. The company stated that it would move its business out of the state if Governor Nathan Deal signs the bill into law.

A spokesperson for Disney stated:

Disney and Marvel are inclusive companies, and although we have had great experiences filming in Georgia, we will plan to take our business elsewhere should any legislation allowing discriminatory practices be signed into state law.

North Carolina’s anti-LGBT law is now officially affecting the state’s economy.

PayPal announced Tuesday that it is scrapping a plan to expand its company to Charlotte, North Carolina, after considering the state’s recently passed anti-LGBT law, HB2.

Two weeks ago, the Internet payments company announced plans to build a global operations center in Charlotte, which would have employed 400 people. However, it won’t follow through with that plan because the state adopted HB2, PayPal CEO Dan Schulman wrote in a blog post on the company’s website.

“The new law perpetuates discrimination and it violates the values and principles that are at the core of PayPal’s mission and culture,” Schulman wrote.

Mississippi could now legalize discrimination against people who have premarital sex

The state legislature in Mississippi has now passed a bill to allow both public employees and private businesses to refuse to take part in gay marriages — but a whole lot of heterosexual people might be surprised at what’s in the written text here.

The bill repeatedly states that “the state government shall not take any discriminatory action” against a person or religious organization for refusing to take part in objectionable marriages, adoptions, or certain other services (more on that later)....

...But as this bill is actually written, though, a whole lot of people in Mississippi besides sexual minorities could face discrimination, too — like the vast numbers of people who have had sex outside of marriage....

...In addition to social services such as marriage and adoption, the bill protects any private business who refuses to provide “services, accommodations, facilities, goods, or privileges for a purpose related to the solemnization, formation, celebration, or recognition of any marriage, based upon or in a manner consistent with a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction described in Section 2 of this act.”

So what is Section 2, and what are its ramifications? The actual text of the bill states:

“SECTION 2. The sincerely held religious beliefs or moral convictions protected by this act are the belief or conviction that:
“(a) Marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman;
“(b) Sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage; and
“(c) Male (man) or female (woman) refer to an individual’s immutable biological sex as objectively determined by anatomy and genetics at time of birth.”

And from here, so much mischief could be done. Because while the bill specifies numerous social services provided by either state employees or private religious organizations — marriage and adoption, mainly — in all cases an employer or organization is broadly protected for having “a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction described in Section 2 of this act.”...

As written, despite the sponsor’s statement that the bill deals only with same-sex marriage, a government employee could refuse to grant a marriage license to a couple who have had premarital sex — and who knows, they might even be able to ask the question, too.

So why include a section for people who believe that sex is reserved only for marriage? Most likely, that clause might have been intended to relate to other sections of the bill involving adoption and foster care services, as well as fertility services. But the key point here is that as written, any person could be refused a marriage from a government employee on any or all of the bases under Section 2.

And in other areas, when the bill here also specifies “psychological, counseling, or fertility services based upon a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction described in Section 2 of this act,” a therapist might even potentially refuse counseling to a person whose personal morality does not measure up to the standard set under Section 2.

Lionsgate is moving one of its big budget television productions to its hometown in response to North Carolina’s passage of a controversial new law that discriminates against individuals who identify as LGBT, according to the Charlotte Observer.

Founded in Vancouver, but now headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Lionsgate had planned to film a pilot episode for Crushed, a new original comedy series planned for streaming on Hulu. It stars Regina Hall in an African-American family who accidentally starts a successful wine business in Napa, and the comedy focuses on the family’s unorthodox approach to wine making.

Filming was originally scheduled to begin in May, with pre-production work starting this month. FOX 46 Charlotte reports that Lionsgate’s decision will cost the state over 100 jobs, but North Carolina’s loss will be Vancouver’s gain.

an African-American family who accidentally starts a successful wine business in Napa, and the comedy focuses on the family’s unorthodox approach to wine making

an African-American family who accidentally starts a successful wine business in Napa, and the comedy focuses on the family’s unorthodox approach to wine making

A Statement from Bruce Springsteen on North Carolina

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN·FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2016

As you, my fans, know I’m scheduled to play in Greensboro, North Carolina this Sunday. As we also know, North Carolina has just passed HB2, which the media are referring to as the “bathroom” law. HB2 — known officially as the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act — dictates which bathrooms transgender people are permitted to use. Just as important, the law also attacks the rights of LGBT citizens to sue when their human rights are violated in the workplace. No other group of North Carolinians faces such a burden. To my mind, it’s an attempt by people who cannot stand the progress our country has made in recognizing the human rights of all of our citizens to overturn that progress. Right now, there are many groups, businesses, and individuals in North Carolina working to oppose and overcome these negative developments. Taking all of this into account, I feel that this is a time for me and the band to show solidarity for those freedom fighters. As a result, and with deepest apologies to our dedicated fans in Greensboro, we have canceled our show scheduled for Sunday, April 10th. Some things are more important than a rock show and this fight against prejudice and bigotry — which is happening as I write — is one of them. It is the strongest means I have for raising my voice in opposition to those who continue to push us backwards instead of forwards.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s Sunday April 10th show is canceled. Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase.

Scooter wrote:

Lord Jim wrote:And just how is this law supposed to be enforced? Are they going to post law enforcement officers at every public restroom, to check everyone out who's going in?