AMC Urges Georgia Governor to Veto Anti-Gay Legislation

AMC, which produces the megahit "The Walking Dead," is urging Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal to Veto a controversial bill that would discriminate against members of the gay and LGBT community. "The Walking Dead" star Andrew Lincoln is pictured (Photo by AMC Film Holdings).

LOS ANGELES - AMC is urging Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal to veto a controversial bill that opponents say is anti-gay and unconstitutional. The action follows a similar stance voiced by the Walt Disney Co. Monday.

“We applaud Governor Deal’s leadership in resisting a previous version of this divisive legislation and urge him to reject the current version as well," the network said in a statement.

AMC, which produces its megahit horror series "The Walking Dead," in the state, has not indicated whether it would pull production from Georgia if the bill is not vetoed.

Disney has warned that it will boycott Georgia as a production location if the bill goes into law. Disney's “Guardians of the Galaxy 2” is currently shooting in the state. The bill is similar to the Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, a federal statute that requires the government to have "a very high level of proof before it interferes with someone's free exercise of religion."

The bill, however, would permit businesses to refuse service to gay or LGBT people if the business owner opposed their lifestyle due to the owner's religious beliefs.