超級英雄“拯救”LGBT？

超級英雄“拯救”LGBT？

美國佐治亞州議會3月初宣布通過的宗教自由法案，允許宗教人員拒絕向LGBT群體提供服務(wù)，立馬引來派拉蒙、迪士尼等好萊塢影視公司和安妮·海瑟薇等電影人的強(qiáng)烈反對，甚至威脅若不撤銷答案，將封殺佐治亞州。作為《蟻人》、《美隊(duì)3》的拍攝地，該州州長終于在壓力下表示否決法案。

測試中可能遇到的詞匯和知識：

contentious 訴訟的；引起爭論的[k?n'ten??s]

biggest names 明星大腕

discriminate 歧視；區(qū)別[d?'skr?m?ne?t]

deplorable 可嘆的；凄慘的[d?'pl??r?b(?)l]

veto 否決；禁止['vi?t??]

boycott 聯(lián)合抵制['b??k?t]

constitution 憲法；體制；章程[k?nst?'tju??(?)n]

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Georgia governor vetoes religious bill after corporate pressure（489words）

By Shannon Bond in New York

* * *

Georgia’s governor has vetoed a contentious religious freedom bill viewed as anti-gay following pressure from US companies, including a host of Hollywood’s biggest names.

“I do not think that we have to discriminate against anyone to protect the faith-based community in Georgia,” Nathan Deal said at a news conference on Monday.

He added that his decision was “not just about protecting the faith-based community or providing a business-friendly climate for job growth in Georgia. I believe it is about the character of our state and the character of our people. Georgia is a welcoming state.”

The bill, passed by the US state’s legislature earlier in March, would have allowed faith-based organisations to deny their services and employment to people who violate their beliefs, such as perform same-sex marriages. Supporters argued it provided important protections for religious freedoms, but opponents equated it to discrimination.

The Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights lobby group, welcomed Mr Deal’s veto as a “victory”.

“The message to Governor Nathan Deal was loud and clear: this deplorable legislation was bad for his constituents, bad for business, and bad for Georgia’s future,” said Chad Griffin, HRC president.

Companies including Coca-Cola, Apple, Delta Air Lines, Unilever and Salesforce condemned the bill. The National Football League warned the measure could affect Atlanta’s bid to host a Super Bowl.

Media groups including Walt Disney and The Weinstein Company warned they would consider moving productions out of Georgia if the bill became law.

Time Warner — whose Turner division is based in Atlanta — 21st Century Fox, Sony Pictures, Viacom, Comcast, CBS, MGM, AMC, Discovery, Lionsgate and Starz also urged Mr Deal to veto the bill. HRC circulated a letter to the governor signed by well-known figures in the entertainment industry, including writer Aaron Sorkin, director Rob Reiner and actor Julianne Moore.

The threat of a Hollywood boycott carries particular weight in the state, which took in $1.7bn in spending from more than 200 film and television shoots last year.

Disney, whose Marvel division has recently filmed Captain America: Civil War and Guardians of the Galaxy 2 in the state, said that while its studios “have had great experiences filming in Georgia, we will plan to take our business elsewhere should any legislation allowing discriminatory practices be signed into state law”.

The clash over balancing religious freedom and civil rights has been reignited as public opinion has shifted towards broader support of gay rights and following last year’s Supreme Court decision legalising gay marriage across the country.

While more than a dozen states have passed religious freedom bills in the past year, many have raised the ire of companies, which have warned they will pull jobs and investment from states that pass laws seen as discriminatory and potentially threatening to business.

On Monday, opponents filed a federal lawsuit against North Carolina’s governor and other public officials, arguing that the law violates the US Constitution’s rights to privacy and equal protection.

請根據(jù)你所讀到的文章內(nèi)容，完成以下自測題目：

1. What is it like in Georgia as the Governor Nathan Deal said?

a. welcoming

b. passive

c. mean

d. traditional

2. Which one is not mentioned as the aspect influenced badly by the legislation in the view of HRC president?

a. constituents

b. business

c. freedom of belief

d. Georgia’s future

3. Which city is in Georgia as speculation?

a. Columbia

b. Atlanta

c. Frankfort

d. Boston

4. When did the Supreme Court legalize gay marriage across the country?

a. 2015

b. 2016

c. 2014

d. 2013

[1] 答案a. welcoming

解釋：州長Deal表示，佐治亞州是個好客的州，他不打算為了保護(hù)宗教團(tuán)隊(duì)而歧視某個群體。

[2] 答案c. freedom of belief

解釋：Griffin認(rèn)為這樣帶有歧視性的法案對其本身、商業(yè)發(fā)展和佐治亞州的未來都是不利的，并未提到宗教自由。

[3] 答案b. Atlanta

解釋：美國國家橄欖球聯(lián)盟NFL表示，這項(xiàng)法案將可能危及到亞特蘭大(Atlanta)申辦超級碗的可能性，所以可推測出亞特蘭大屬于該州。其他城市未提及。

[4] 答案a. 2015

解釋：美國在2015年6月宣布同性婚姻合法化，各州不得立法禁止同性婚姻，但部分州仍存在同志群體的歧視現(xiàn)象。