Montel Williams Says He 'Won't Be Silent' On Mississippi's Anti-Gay Bill
- By
- On Top Magazine Staff
- | April 01, 2016
Television and radio personality Montel Williams is speaking out against so-called religious freedom bills that critics say would allow discrimination against the LGBT community.
The latest such bill was approved by lawmakers in Mississippi this week.
(Related: Mississippi Senate approves bill that protects gay marriage foes.)
Williams, who is best known as host of the long-running The Montel Williams Show, is a registered independent who leans conservative.
“As a human being, a Christian, a conservative, an American who served 22 years in the military, I'm deeply saddened to be making a statement, for the third time this week, having been again reminded that there remains a class of people in America on whom it remains socially acceptable to visit discrimination under the guise of faith – our LGBT brothers and sisters. I will not be silent,” Williams said in a statement.
“I urge Mississippians to reject this ill advised attempt by the Legislature to erase all the progress Mississippi has made on tolerance and take it back to a very dark period in it's [sic] history, and I look forward to sharing my view with Mississippi voters in person very soon.”
“I CANNOT be silent,” he added, “or I become complicit.”
Williams also criticized similar bills in North Carolina and Georgia.