Baltimore mayor invites gay Arizonans to move

Any lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people who are unhappy with Arizona’s laws have been given a formal invitation by the mayor of Baltimore to move to the East Coast.

According to the Baltimore Sun, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake made the offer during a Sunday appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“On balance, I think the LGBT community would be better off, save the weather — we can’t promise you the weather — but better off in Baltimore,” the mayor said. “I’m more than happy to deal with the welcome. I think it’s a much friendlier place. … We have a great LGBT community in Baltimore, I’ve been a big supporter to the first LGBT, the same-sex marriage in the state right after New Year’s. And there’s no war going on in Baltimore.”

Last week, Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a bill that would have allowed businesses to deny services to anyone based on religious beliefs. The bill angered many in the gay rights community.