Tweet at Governor Jan Brewer and urge her to veto SB1062!
GLAAD's President, Sarah Kate Ellis, was on CNN to talk about Arizona's SB1062, which would give license to discriminate and refuse to do business with anyone, particularly LGBT people. Ellis responded to Anderson Cooper's interview with Arizona State Senator Al Melvin, in which Melvin claimed, among other things, that discrimination has never taken place in Arizona.
"Being anti-LGBT is bad for business," Ellis told CNN's Carol Costello. "Apple, Marriott, American Airlines – over 80 corporations have spoken out and urged [Arizona] Governor [Jan] Brewer to veto this bill."
Ellis also noted that even the NFL has spoken out against the bill. Arizona is slated to host the Super Bowl in 2015.
Anderson Cooper did exactly what a good journalist should do when he interviewed Arizona State Senator Melvin last night. He confronted Senator Melvin with the facts and challenged him on his misinformation and distortion. Noting that Arizona has no legal protections for LGBT people, Cooper asked why a law that allows business owners to refuse service to LGBT people would be necessary. Later, Cooper challenged Senator Melvin to name one instance in which someone was forced to go against their religious beliefs, to which Senator Melvin could come up with no examples.
Others who have spoken out against the bill include U.S. Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake. Senator McCain told CNN's Chris Cuomo that "This [bill] is going to hurt the state of Arizona's economy and, frankly, our image, so I hope that the Governor of Arizona will veto this and we will move on."
GLAAD is also urging equality supporters to voice their opinions on Facebook and Twitter by sharing the graphic featured at the top of this post urging Gov. Brewer to veto the bill
"Governor Brewer now stands at a career-defining precipice," says Ellis. "By signing this bill into law, she would be turning her back on countless Arizonans, who simply want to live the lives they love without fear of discrimination. Businesses won't tolerate this bill; Arizonans won't tolerate this bill; and America won't tolerate this bill. Governor Brewer must do what's right and veto SB 1062."
You can watch the video of Anderson Cooper challenging Senator Melvin below.