Call To Repeal 'Religious Freedom' Law

The bill allows businesses, social workers and public employees to deny service based on their religious beliefs, without penalty.

Protests against the so-called religious freedom law

A group of Democratic lawmakers have vowed to fight a Mississippi law allowing the use of religious beliefs as a reason to deny services to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

The so-called Religious Freedom Bill - HB 1523 - was signed by the state's Republican governor Phil Bryant last week.

But Democratic Rep Jay Hughes says he will do his best to reverse the bill before it becomes law on 1 July.

In a Facebook post, He wrote: "Mississippi has been here before - we must give reasonable minds and the principles of democracy an opportunity to be heard.

"Repeal HB 1523.

Jay Hughes announcing that he will try to get the bill repealed

"All Mississippians are equal."

Standing outside the state's Capitol building on Tuesday he added: "We don’t want this bill to confirm the perception that others have of Mississippi, our great economy and our hospitality."

His words come after dozens of business executives - including those from General Electric, Dow Chemical Company, Pepsi, Hyatt, Hewlett Packard, Choice Hotels International, Whole Foods, Hyatt Hotels and Levis Strauss & Co - signed an open letter from the Human Rights Campaign protesting the law.

Describing it as "discriminatory", they said: "This is not a direction in which states move when they are seeking to provide successful, thriving hubs for business and economic development.

"We believe that HB 1523 will make it far more challenging for businesses across the state to recruit and retain the nation’s best and brightest workers and attract the most talented students from across the country.

"It will also diminish the state’s draw as a destination for tourism, new businesses, and economic activity."

Famous names have also voiced their opposition to the law, with talkshow host Ellen DeGeneres calling it "the definition of discrimination" and singer Bryan Adams cancelling an upcoming show in the state in protest.

Repealing the law, however, could be an uphill struggle.

The process would begin in the House Rules Committee and the committee's Republican chairman Jason White has already said it is "not very likely" he will consider the request.