Georgia’s governor has vetoed a contentious¹ religious freedom bill viewed as anti-gay following pressure from US companies, including a host of Hollywood’s biggest names.

在遭遇包括一系列好莱坞大牌公司在内的多家美国企业的压力后，美国佐治亚州州长内森•迪尔(Nathan Deal)否决了一项有争议的宗教自由法案。该法案被视为一部反同性恋法案。

“I do not think that we have to discriminate² against anyone to protect the faith-based community in Georgia,” Nathan Deal said at a news conference on Monday.

周一，迪尔在一个新闻发布会上表示：“我不认为为了保护佐治亚州以宗教信仰为基础的社群就非得歧视什么人。”

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.”

他补充说，他的决定“不止是出于保护以宗教信仰为基础的社群、或为了佐治亚州的就业增长而提供一个对商业友好的氛围。我认为，这么做还关乎我们这个州的品质以及我们人民的品质。佐治亚州是个好客的州。”

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 equated³ it to discrimination.

本月早些时候，佐治亚州议会通过了该法案。该法案允许以宗教信仰为基础的组织拒绝向违反其信仰（比如实行同性婚姻）的人提供服务和就业。该法案的支持者辩称，它为宗教自由提供了重要保障，而反对者则将之与歧视相提并论。

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

同性恋权利游说组织“人权运动”(Human Rights Campaign)对迪尔的决定表示欢迎，称此事是一次“胜利”。

Companies including Coca-Cola, Apple, Delta⁴ Air Lines, Unilever and Salesforce condemned⁵ the bill. The National Football League warned the measure could affect Atlanta’s bid to host a Super Bowl.

包括可口可乐(Coca-Cola)、苹果(Apple)、达美航空(Delta Air Lines)、联合利华(Unilever)和Salesforce在内的企业对该法案予以了谴责。美国国家橄榄球联盟(National Football League)警告称，这项举措或对亚特兰大申办超级碗(Super Bowl)赛事产生影响。

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

包括华特迪士尼(Walt Disney)和温斯坦公司(Weinstein Company)在内的媒体集团警告称，如果该法案被批准为法律，它们会考虑将制作活动迁出佐治亚州。

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.

时代华纳(Time Warner)、21世纪福克斯(21st Century Fox)、索尼影视(Sony Pictures)、维亚康姆(Viacom)、康卡斯特(Comcast)、哥伦比亚广播公司(CBS)、米高梅(MGM)、AMC、探索通信(Discovery Communications)、狮门娱乐(Lionsgate)和Starz也敦促迪尔否决该法案。时代华纳子公司特纳(Turner)就位于亚特兰大。“人权运动”还向这位州长传递了一封有多位娱乐业知名人物签名的信，其中包括作家阿伦•索尔金(Aaron Sorkin)、导演罗布•赖纳(Rob Reiner)和演员朱丽安•摩尔(Julianne Moore)。