An Update-the State of Things
A lot has changed in my state in a week.
Last week I wrote about the new law in Indiana, the Religious Freedom
Restoration Act, (often referred to as RFRA).....
After I wrote about my feelings on the
new bill, other opponents to the law displayed their anger.
Boycott Indiana was a trending hashtag on
Twitter. Heads of corporations, law makers, and celebrities voiced their
disdain for the new law…
Of course, it did not help when the
Governor of Indiana, Mike Pence, went on national television to defend the new
law. The host of the show, George Stephanopolous, asked Governor Pence if the new
bill would enable discrimination against members of the LGBT community. The
Governor refused to answer the question. Eight times.
Supporters of the law made statements
that several other states have laws like this already on the books. This is
true. But it does not make it right.
One evening I looked on CNN, a 24 hour
news channel, to see if the story of Indiana’s new law would be discussed. To
my surprise, an hour long show was dedicated to the topic.
Even the show Saturday Night Live had a
story about the new law….
That morning, Saturday March 28, there was a rally at the
Indiana State House for Indiana residents to voice their opposition to the
bill…
This week, the debate still
continued. A bill was proposed called the Fairness for All Hoosiers act, which would prohibit
discrimination against the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Biseuxal, Transgender) community, and clarify that the Religious
Freedom Restoration Act cannot negate civil rights legislation. (*Important note: the word Hoosier refers
to a resident of the state of Indiana.)
The backlash against Indiana was swift
and costly. Businesses pulled out Indiana, conventions threatened to leave the
state. The loss of revenue was projected at $256.4 million.
The future of the state looked sadder
with every passing day. Celebrities, CEOs and citizens alike voiced their
opposition to the new bill; meanwhile the civil rights of the LGBT community
were being denied and negated.
The Indianapolis City County Council
passed legislation that enabled protection for all LGBT in Indianapolis. They then urged the state to repeal the new law.
Olympic diver and gay rights activist Greg Louganis attended the meeting.
Then suddenly, in a brave and brazen act,
the Indianapolis Star, the largest newspaper in the state, ran a front page story about the law with this as the
headline, a message to Governor Pence and all Indiana lawmakers: Fix This Now
When it seemed all hope was lost, the
Indiana legislature got to work on a way to fix this law. A press conference
was held, and an amendment was proposed. The new compromise put into law that a
business cannot refuse “…to offer or provide
services, facilities, use of public accommodations, goods, employment, or
housing to any member or members of the general public on the basis of race,
color, religion, ancestry, age, national origin, disability, sex, sexual
orientation, gender identity, or United States military service.”
The above amendment
was voted on by both houses of the Indiana legislature and signed by Governor
Pence within hours. The original bill seemed to fly through the legislature
with much speed. The new amendment was signed it seemed in the blink of an eye.
To be truthful, I have mixed feelings on
the amendment. On one hand, it is a victory. The words “sexual orientation” and
“gender identity” have never before been in any legislation in Indiana. It is
also a victory in that it is now illegal for any business to deny services to
anyone in the state of Indiana.
Yet, on the other hand, the amendment to
the law does not fix everything. The law exempts churches, nonprofit religious organizations
and affiliated schools, and members of clergy.
Many CEOs feel that the new amendment was not enough. They continue to pull business from Indiana.
I see the amendment to the law as a band-aid on a larger wound. The civil rights of all Indiana residents were upheld; however, the
rights of all were upheld only as they pertain to this one law. It is still
legal to fire someone because they are LGBT. Here is a map of states in the
U.S. where it is legal to fire someone if they are LGBT:
The Indianapolis Star applauded the new
amendment to the law, calling it “a historic step forward for Indiana.” Below
is a photo from Freedom Indiana, quoting the Indianapolis Star newspaper. It
reads:
"Now
we need to set out on the path to make Indiana a symbol of equality for all.
That means enacting a state law that fully prohibits discrimination in
employment, housing, education and public accommodations in all forms.”
Many opponents to the bill have come around to
supporting Indiana once again, calling off the boycott of Indiana. George
Takei, who wrote so eloquently on the dangers inherent in the new law, posted
this when the law was amended:
“I commend Indiana, especially the good Hoosiers who
stood up to, and against, discrimination. Today, the state senate leadership,
in close consultation with Indiana business leaders, fashioned a
"fix" to the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act. The amendment
states specifically that the law does NOT authorize anyone to refuse to provide
services, facilities, public accommodations, goods, employment, or housing to
anyone on the basis of certain characteristics, including
sexual orientation and gender identity. While this is not the comprehensive
anti-discrimination bill many want, it remains historic because it is the first
time in Indiana state history that sexual orientation and gender identity
appear within the context of a law concerning non-discrimination in that state.
I am confident that Indiana ultimately will join many other states to
specifically protect LGBTs from discrimination, and I call upon the Indiana
legislature to take that next important step.
Governor Pence just signed the new law. I am very
happy to replace#BoycottIndiana with #IndianaForAll, with the hope
that Hoosier hospitality once again can flourish. This has been a difficult and
soul-searching week for many on both sides. But from here we move forward,
together, towards an inclusive society where religious beliefs and individual
civil rights can exist in harmony, side by side. This is a great day for
Indiana, and for the entire nation.
Thank you, fans, for responding to my call along with
the calls of many business and civic leaders who stood firm against
discrimination. Together we can, and did, make a difference."
As a citizen of Indiana, as a business
owner, and as an ally to the LGBT community, I am pleased this law has been
amended to protect the rights of all. I look forward to the day when Indiana
passes anti-discrimination legislation so that the rights of all are protected
under every law in this state. I pray that leaders in all states do the same.
I now echo the thanks of George Takei. To
everyone who wrote about the harm of this new law, tweeted and wrote about this issue on
social media sites, those who went down to the statehouse to protest this law,
to the leaders of Freedom Indiana, to members of clergy who stood up to oppose the law, to everyone who made their voice heard, I say thank you. All
of us working as one made a difference.
This is but one battle in the fight of equal rights for all. If you would like to join the fight, here are some resources:
Freedom
Indiana: http://freedomindiana.org/
Human
Rights Campaign: http://www.hrc.org/
The
New Civil Rights Movement: http://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/landing?splash=1
PFLAG: (Parents, Friends of Lesbians and
Gays): http://community.pflag.org/Page.aspx?pid=194&srcid=-2
GLAAD: (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation): http://www.glaad.org/
Give
a Damn Campaign: http://www.wegiveadamn.org/
Comments
Post a Comment