Republican Josh Hawley, a candidate for
Missouri attorney general, has proposed exemptions for opponents of
marriage equality.
Hawley's proposal, which he pitched
this month in a letter to legislative leaders, would exempt
businesses and religious groups from participating in the marriage
ceremonies of gay and lesbian couples, according to the Columbia
Daily Tribune.
Hawley, a University of Missouri School
of Law associate professor, said that his proposal would provide
“targeted protections” for people with “sincerely held
religious beliefs.”
Steph Perkins, interim executive
director of LGBT rights advocate PROMO, said that current law does
not prohibit businesses from discriminating on the basis of sexual
orientation or gender identity.
“Unfortunately, Missouri does not
protect same-sex couples or transgender people in any public
accommodation,” he told the paper.
Hawley faces state Senator Kurt
Schaefer in the August GOP primary.