The Georgia legislature is trying to pass what is being referred to as the “Religious Liberty bill.” Bill 757 will allow for discrimination against homosexuals for job opportunities and services due to employers’ religious beliefs, according to the Washington Post. This would allow religiously affiliated organizations to deny employment to those who do not line up with their ideals. ABC news reports that Gov. Nathan Deal will veto the bill.

Deal has every right to veto this bill. Economically, this would be a disaster. The Washington Post reports that many big businesses such as The Walt Disney Co. and the NFL would take their businesses out of the state or boycott the state if the bill is passed into legislation.

The NFL also stated that the bill could jeopardize the state’s chance at hosting the Super Bowl in 2019, according to ESPN. A Super Bowl would be a massive profit for the city. It would hurt the current, and future, economy if the NFL were to deny Georgia the opportunity to host in 2019. Economics, however, are not the only large-scale concern with the passing of this bill.

The legislation proposed with the Religious Liberty Bill does not only apply to religious institutions such as churches or religiously affiliated charities; if this bill were to pass, any business which is declared by its controlling members or founders to adhere to certain religious morals and beliefs would gain the right to discriminate in their hiring as they see fit; at least based on sexual orientation and identification.

Separation of church and state has kept this kind of discrimination at bay, legally, but if the bill were to pass then it would open the floodgates on discrimination in these kinds of hiring decisions. Not only would future employment be affected, but it could be imagined that any current employees discovered to be out of alignment with a company or institution’s beliefs could potentially be fired on the spot.

People who run hotels, restaurants, stores, etc., can discriminate based on their religion under this legislation. What would the results of this bill look like? Would there be signs outside of businesses that stated: “No gays”? How could a business identify homosexuals? Will two people of the same sex holding hands get kicked out of a restaurant? Will two girls not be allowed to share a hotel room?

This bill brings up too many questions that people will take advantage of. It could be used as a way to show hatred to those who might make others uncomfortable or who have opposing religious and moral beliefs.

With all the problems associated with this bill, one would think it could be easy to terminate. However, the governor has the power of veto, the state legislature can override him. It is shocking and appalling that the bill has already passed through the state legislature. Other states such as Kansas are trying to institute similar legislation. Georgia stands as an example that may determine whether other legislatures will be successful.

ABC News reports that many Hollywood stars such as Anne Hathaway are refusing to work in the state if it passes. Support is quickly gathering around the opposition toward the legislation. Passage of the bill will likely result in lawsuits and opposition from human rights groups, as this is a form of discrimination.

There is no doubt that Georgia is trying to take steps back in the progress that is being made for equal treatment of all individuals no matter what their sexual orientation is. Now we can see whether the state and the country will allow this to happen or stand up against the discrimination.