Fix This Now

This was today's cover of the Indianapolis Star, not exactly known as a bastion of liberalism:


Here is the full editorial, in which the editors argue: "Only bold action—action that sends an unmistakable message to the world that our state will not tolerate discrimination against any of its citizens—will be enough to reverse the damage. Gov. Mike Pence and the General Assembly need to enact a state law to prohibit discrimination in employment, housing, education and public accommodations on the basis of a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. Those protections and RFRA can co-exist. They do elsewhere. Laws protecting sexual orientation and gender identity are not foreign to Indiana. Indianapolis, for example, has had those legal protections in place for nearly a decade. Indy's law applies to businesses with more than six employees, and exempts religious organizations and non-profit groups."

In fact, yesterday, Republican Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard and the City-County Council "called on the Indiana General Assembly to either repeal the divisive Religious Freedom Restoration Act or add explicit protections for sexual orientation and gender identity in state law. Ballard also issued an executive order that anyone who receives money from the city government must abide by its human rights ordinance, which has had such protections in place for a decade."

"Our city thrives because we have welcomed and embraced diversity. And RFRA threatens what thousands of people have spent decades building," Ballard said.

"Discrimination is wrong. And I hope that message is being heard loud and clear at our Statehouse."

Republican and Democratic Hoosiers are coming together to put pressure on Governor Mike Pence and the state legislature to ensure that the RFRA does not become, as it was clearly intended, a license to discriminate.

Fix this now, we are requesting. Fix this now, we are demanding.

#WeAreIndiana

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Two pieces of recommended reading:

Samantha Allen: "Don't boycott Indiana. Boycott bigots."

Tom Watson: "Trending Yes, But Does Indiana Boycott Make Tactical Sense as Citizen's Movement?"