Disney threatens to boycott Georgia over anti-gay bill
Thu. March 24, 2016 7:52 AM by Carlos Santoscoy
Disney, AMC and Marvel joined the growing chorus of companies calling on Georgia Governor Nathan Deal to veto an anti-gay bill approved by lawmakers.
The Free Exercise Protection Act (House Bill 757) would allow faith-based organizations to not hire or provide services to people who "violate" its sincerely held religious beliefs.
"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," said a Disney spokesman.
Disney is currently filming Guardians of the Galaxy 2 outside Atlanta.
AMC, which films The Walking Dead and Halt & Catch Fire in Georgia, added that as a company it "believes that discrimination of any kind is reprehensible."
"We applaud Governor Deal's leadership in resisting a previous version of this divisive legislation and urge him to reject the current version as well," an AMC spokesman said Wednesday.
Last week, the NFL said that passage of the bill could knock out Georgia from consideration as a Super Bowl host.
(Related: Ice Cube: Anti-gay discrimination is "old, antiquated practice.")
The Free Exercise Protection Act (House Bill 757) would allow faith-based organizations to not hire or provide services to people who "violate" its sincerely held religious beliefs.
"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," said a Disney spokesman.
Disney is currently filming Guardians of the Galaxy 2 outside Atlanta.
AMC, which films The Walking Dead and Halt & Catch Fire in Georgia, added that as a company it "believes that discrimination of any kind is reprehensible."
"We applaud Governor Deal's leadership in resisting a previous version of this divisive legislation and urge him to reject the current version as well," an AMC spokesman said Wednesday.
Last week, the NFL said that passage of the bill could knock out Georgia from consideration as a Super Bowl host.
(Related: Ice Cube: Anti-gay discrimination is "old, antiquated practice.")
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