It seems religious liberty is the talk of state politics across the pond, with Georgia’s Governor vetoing a bill that gave religious organisations in the state the right to discriminate and deny gays and LGBTQ’s access to services like marriage. That sentiment seems to have perturbingly spread to Mississippi, one of the states attempting to legalize discrimination against the LGBT community under the guise of religious liberty.
However the bill in Mississippi is even more heinous that the one in Georgia, allowing establishments to fire employees, landlords to refuse housing, and medical professionals to refuse certain treatments to the LGBT community. The Oxford Film Festival is one of the organizations fighting back against this, executive director Melanie Addington commenting:
“The Oxford Film Festival is deeply troubled and disheartened by the new bill Governor Phil Bryant signed into law today that is both unconstitutional and morally reprehensible. Our mission is not only to entertain with independent cinema but to enlighten with a range of diverse voices. In that vein, we will do better in making sure the voices of our LGBT friends are heard and better served in this state.
We will be adding a new LGBT series to our February film festival and are proud to stand with many in this state that are trying to build a more promising, enlightening and open state for all. Please join us and encourage your friends to not abandon our state in its time of need but to instead stand up and be heard”.
#Peace.Love.OxfordFilmFestival
