Ten mayors from around the country have united in response to the recent anti-LGBT laws passed in states such as North Carolina and Mississippi, as reported by QUEERtimes.
Mayors Edwin M. Lee (D-San Francisco), Ed Murray (D- Seattle), Bill de Blasio (D-New York), Jim Kenney (D-Philadelphia), Charlie Hales (D-Portland), Libby Schaaf (D-Oakland), Kirk Caldwell (D-Honolulu), Javier Gonzalez (D-Santa Fe), Muriel Bowser (D-Washington D.C.), Bob Buckhorn (D-Tampa), Martin Walsh (D-Boston), Eric Garcetti (D-Los Angeles) and Jackie Biskupski (D-Salt Lake City) came together and formed Mayors Against Discrimination (MAD).
Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R) recently passed House Bill 1523, which allows businesses to discriminate against LGBTs on the grounds of “religious freedom.” Similarly, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) passed House Bill 2, which “require[s] every multiple occupancy bathroom or changing facility to be designated for and only used by persons based on their biological sex” and prevents transgender citizens from using the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity.
