February 27 In History: Religion And Homosexuality Facing Arizona

Arizona Parliament Building (Source: Commons Wikimedia)

JAKARTA - Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has vetoed a bill that has the potential to discriminate against gay people. The bill allows business owners to reject gay customers on the grounds of religious beliefs.

Jan Brewer said the reason for vetoing the bill. It's simple, she said. This bill has "unintended and very negative consequences", CNN quoted her as saying.

Business groups warn the bill could also damage Arizona's reputation. Business units could collapse, prompting many companies to move to other states.

Conservatives refer to the bill as support for religious protection. Meanwhile, opponents of the bill consider it legalization of gay discrimination.

Protecting religious freedom?

Jan Brewer (Source: Commons Wikimedia)

Brewer questioned many things, including the background to the bill. According to the Republican politician, the bill does not address specific issues or anything related to religious freedom in Arizona.

"I haven't heard of a single instance in Arizona, where a business owner's religious freedom has been violated (just because he is gay)", she said of the bill passed by the state legislature last week, with strong support from the state's Republican Party.

Brewer spent one Wednesday gathering with supporters and opponents of the bill. She said she had vetoed the bill because of her belief that it had "the potential to create more problems than was intended to be resolved".

"It could split Arizona in ways that we can't even imagine and no one wants to", he added.

Brewer is working with the business community, including Intel, Yelp, Marriot, to Major League Baseball, and the Arizona Chamber of Commerce. There were cheers outside the Arizona Capitol shortly after Brewer announced her veto power.

Rebecca Wininger, president of Equality Arizona told the BBC that the veto was both resistance and "a clear message to those trying to use religion and those with right-wing rhetoric that we are done...We are tired and we are done being discriminated against".

In essence, the bill will expand the State's Religious Freedom Act (UU) to add protection from prosecution for individuals or businesses based on 'sincerely held' religious beliefs as a driving factor in taking action or refusing to do so.

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