OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has joined the Seattle mayor in banning official travel to Mississippi due to the state's new law allowing religious groups and some private businesses to refuse service to gay couples based on beliefs.
Inslee on Tuesday barred anything but essential travel to Mississippi on the public's dime.
He says the new law authorizes discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals including Washington residents who travel there. Inslee says it's the law of Washington state and the policy of his administration to demand equality for all persons.
The Mississippi measure's stated intention is to protect those who believe that marriage should be between one man and one woman, that sexual relations should only take place inside such marriages, and that male and female genders are unchangeable.
Copyright Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Support our reporting -- Follow the MFP.
