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February 24, 2014

Hundreds Protest Anti-Gay Bill in Arizona; Illinois Same-Sex Couples Wed 
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In Arizona, hundreds of people rallied outside the state capitol Friday
to demand Gov. Jan Brewer veto a bill they say legalizes discrimination
against LGBT people. The bill passed by both houses of the state
legislature last week would allow businesses to deny service to LGBT
people by citing religious beliefs. Protester Megan Abhau condemned the
bill.

Megan Abhau: "It feels like it opens the door for discrimination in a
huge broad spectrum the way the bill is written. We could be kicked out
of a restaurant. I am not shy about my activism in the LGBT community at
all."

The Arizona bill is similar to ones that recently failed in Idaho and
Kansas, and to one under consideration in Utah. In Illinois, meanwhile,
gay couples rushed to get married Friday after a federal judge ruled
same-sex weddings could begin in Cook County, where a lawsuit was filed.
A law legalizing same-sex marriage in all of Illinois takes effect in
June.

 

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