Opponents of same-sex marriage won a major victory Friday, when the Georgia Senate approved a measure allowing them to cite religious beliefs in denying service to gay couples. From our AJC colleague Kristina Torres:
Passage of House Bill 757 came against the wishes of the powerful Metro Atlanta Chamber, which went on record Friday opposing the vote. So did the Georgia Hotel & Lodging Association, Hilton Worldwide, Marriott and InterContinental Hotels Group, which all said the bill would have a chilling effect on Georgia's reputation for both business and tourism.
Georgia Equality, an opponent of the bill, captured one of the more awkward moments of Friday afternoon’s debate, when Sen. Emanuel Jones, D-Decatur, questioned Kirk about whether his bill would give the Ku Klux Klan cover – should that organization cite religious beliefs as a motivation. Kirk offered up Beyonce, her Super Bowl performance, and the Black Panthers as an equivalent:
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