Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas says that when it comes to Indiana and Arkansas’ controversial religious freedom laws, Americans just need some perspective. Miley Cyrus disagrees.
“I think it’s important we have a sense of perspective about our priorities,” Cotton said in an interview on CNN. “In Iran, they hang you for the crime of being gay.”
Cotton also said the laws are similar to the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act signed by President Bill Clinton in 1993, and that “these concerns about discrimination haven’t been borne to bear over the last 20 years.”
RELATED: Scaled-back religious freedom bill becomes law in Arkansas
Over the past week, Indiana’s religious freedom law has become the subject of national controversy. Critics argue that it will allow business owners in the state to discriminate against citizens on the basis of their sexual orientation, calling on Gov. Mike Pence to change it. Thursday, Pence signed off on a proposed fix to the bill designed to make clear that the state’s RFRA could not be used to discriminate against LGBT customers. And in Arkansas, Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed a scaled-back version of a religious freedom bill into law Thursday after asking the state legislature earlier this week to ensure the law would not permit discrimination.
Cotton’s comments were not received well by pop star Miley Cyrus, a vocal opponent of Indiana’s law. Cyrus took to Twitter Thursday to encourage her fans to call Cotton’s office in protest.
Senator Cotton thinks gay community needs to get “perspective” cuz “In Iran they hang you for the crime of being gay.”
— Miley Ray Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) April 2, 2015Let's stir some shit up! Senator Cotton (202) 224-2353 !!!! Happy Hippies call & express why freedom is important to us & our country!
— Miley Ray Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) April 2, 2015Msnbc called the number in Cyrus’s tweet Thursday and received a message saying that Cotton’s voice mailbox was full.
Nisha Chittal