Georgia becomes first US state to introduce bill recognising ‘Hinduphobia’

The state of Georgia has become the first in the United States to introduce a bill that would formally recognise “Hinduphobia” and anti-Hindu hate in the state’s penal code, PTI reported.

The Senate Bill 375 was introduced on April 4 by Republican Senator Shawn Still. The bill, if passed, will mean that anti-Hindu prejudice will be included in laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin.

Advocacy group Coalition of Hindus of North America said that the bill would allow law enforcement authorities to account for “Hinduphobia” while dealing with alleged cases of bias and discrimination.

The draft bill defines Hinduphobia as “a set of antagonistic, destructive, and derogatory attitudes and behaviors towards Hinduism”.

Reacting to the bill, advocacy group, the Coalition of Hindus of North America said it “proudly welcomes” the proposed legislation and called it a “historic move to formally recognise Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu hate in the state’s penal code”.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: The State of Georgia has introduced SB 375, which formally updates the state's penal code to recognize Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu prejudice, and enables law enforcement and other agencies to consider Hinduphobia while cataloging such discrimination and taking… pic.twitter.com/0TKGgtGb8x— CoHNA (Coalition of Hindus of North America) (@CoHNAOfficial) April 10, 2025

Rajeev Menon, the co-founder of Coalition of...

Read more