New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has banned non-essential trips by state workers to Mississippi over the anti-LGBT ‘religious freedom' bill signed into law by Governor Phil Bryant today.
The ban, which takes effect immediately, follows Mississippi's enactment of a discriminatory law that allows business and non-profit groups to refuse service to people on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
“Discrimination is not a New York value. We believe our diversity is our greatest strength, and we will continue to reject the politics of division and exclusion,” said Governor Cuomo. “This Mississippi law is a sad, hateful injustice against the LGBT community, and I will not allow any non-essential official travel to that state until it is repealed.”
Last month, Governor Cuomo also banned non-essential state travel to North Carolina, following that state's enactment of a law which bars transgender individuals from using restrooms appropriate for their gender identities, excludes sexual orientation and gender identity from state anti-discrimination protections, and prohibits municipalities from extending those protections to LGBT citizens.
The ban “requires all New York State agencies, departments, boards and commissions to immediately review all requests for state funded or state sponsored travel to the state of Mississippi.”
