The Daily Show checks in on the states still trying to thwart gay marriage

Jon Stewart checks in on the state of gay marriage

(Image credit: The Daily Show)

Same-sex marriage is now legal in all but 13 states, but those holdout states aren't taking this sitting down, said Jon Stewart on Monday night's Daily Show. "Threatened with a verifiable flood of gay marriage, some legislators are rushing to stick their fingers in the... oh, don't make me say that." Case in point: Georgia and 17 other states "have passed or proposed religious freedom laws, to protect the real victims of discrimination," he said: "Christian florists."

But that's just the tip of the iceberg, Stewart added, bringing up a law in Arkansas that would prevent local governments from enacting laws protecting gays and lesbians from discrimination, and an Oklahoma bill that would scrap state-issued marriage licenses for clergy-issued marriage certificates. "So Oklahoma wants to replace a civil institution with a religious one," Stewart said, "which, maybe I'm wrong here, is Sharia law." He ended in Texas, with Jessica Williams explaining why proposed chromosome-based bathroom legislation is bad for women. Watch below. —Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.