(Image via GLAAD)

Via New Civil Rights Movement: Republican Gov. Nathan Deal will veto his state's highly controversial, so-called “religious freedom” bill, which was in fact sweeping anti-gay legislation:

Governor Nathan Deal has just announced he will veto HB 757, an anti-gay “religious freedom” bill that has been condemned by dozens of large multi-national corporation that do business in Georgia. Several warned they would leave the Peach State should the discriminatory bill become law, and over 500 companies joined Georgia Prospers, a coalition devoted to opposing discrimination.

Gov. Deal said he would have signed HB 757 had it remained in its original form, the Pastor Protect Bill. He noted that many oppose the bill, but repeatedly stated that there are no instances in Georgia that have happened that would require HB 757. And he pointed to the Founding Fathers, and mentioned the late Antonin Scalia's theory of “negative protections,” suggesting the bill is overly broad.

But Deal also said he will not bow to threats, including those from the business community.

“I do not think we have to discriminate against anyone to protect the faith based community,” Deal said. “I believe it is about the character of of state, and the character of our people,” Deal said, announcing his veto.

The governor's full remarks are here.

This is a good example of why we need gay-rights orgs and loud-mouthed public figures “pandering” to gay interests—we need 24/7 pressure and attention to LGBT issues, or things erode quickly.

Without this type of attention, legislatures feel emboldened to sneak things through, which happened in North Carolina. Meanwhile, that state is facing its first of I'm sure many lawsuits over its ridiculous, unconstitutional anti-gay/anti-trans law.