A federal judge has blocked a Mississippi law that would have given explicit and special protections to those who oppose same-sex marriage, just an hour before it was due to go into effect Friday. Judge Carlton W. Reeves called the law “a vehicle for state-sanctioned discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.” Reeves’ 60-page ruling issued a preliminary injunction against the law to prevent it from taking effect. The measure, he wrote, “put its thumb on the scale to favor some religious beliefs over others.” It would have created a slew of protections specifically for those who oppose gay marriage. Those who acted upon such beliefs in services like foster care, counseling, school administration, and even wedding planning, would have been protected from discriminatory hiring or firing decisions. Court clerks, under the law, would have also been allowed to refuse to grant wedding licenses to same-sex couples. Attorney Rob McDuff, who argued against the law, said, “the federal court’s decision recognizes that religious freedom can be preserved along with equal rights for all people regardless of race, religion, or sexual orientation.”