The front page of the Indianapolis Star had it absolutely correct when it stated Fix This Now.
This RFRA was a gross misstep by the lawmakers who pushed it through. They thought no one would notice. “Was I expecting this kind of backlash? Heavens no,” Pence said.
I am so grateful to the people who did notice and started the fight.
Pence not thinking people would notice is slimy.
We can not go backwards as a society. We can not exclude people. We can not. It is morally and socially unconscionable. We can not look Russia and other countries in the eye who discriminate against LBGT and think we have the higher ground. We still, now more clear than ever, have a lot of work to do here in America.
My very good friend is a lesbian. When my mom died, she took me under her wing and became what we lovingly call her as my “pseudomom”. I will be damned before I let someone turn her away. This woman, this gift, will never be treated as less, nor should anyone else for that matter.
I think we need to congratulate the companies who stood up, because let’s be real. Money talks. I’m entirely sure that no matter how many individuals stated that they did not want the law, that nothing would have been done. It would have just been typical rhetoric – those liberals are at it again. The republicans in Indiana would have waited for the news cycle to die down, and would then continue business as usual. However, when companies, and dollars more specifically, speak, republicans tend to listen.
This man, this politician who obviously is catering to the republicans for a possible nomination, was forced to backslide when company after company, city after city, pulled its money from Indiana. Governor Pence put his own political career above other people’s lives, other people’s well being. He came out on air with George Stephanopoulos and stated he would not repeal the law. Then, with mounting monetary pressure, he changed his tune.
And while today he spoke out saying he did not discriminate during his live new conference, he did say “he opposes adding sexual orientation to the list of Indiana’s protected categories under state anti-discrimination law”.
What a fucking politician.
Also, if that’s not discrimination, then I don’t know what is.
Quoted from the New York Times: And supporters of the laws urged political leaders not to bend to pressure. Micah Clark, executive director of the American Family Association of Indiana, said he feared “a capitulation that enshrines homosexual behavior as a special right in Indiana.” Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, said, “The government shouldn’t force religious businesses and churches to participate in wedding ceremonies contrary to their owners’ beliefs.”
Thank you to the New York Times for that information.
We need to ask ourselves as a society, who is the actual aggressor? Who gains to benefit from their “freedom”. Is their freedom at the cost of another?
Ask yourself, where does “owners’ beliefs” stop? At gay marriage, at a teenager exploring his or her sexual identity? Too many suicides have been reported over this very same issue. What about women? What about race? It was once thought if Nazi Germany just took Czechoslovakia, the Munich Pact would create peace.
We all know how that turned out.
Discrimination is ugly, and it’s a slippery slope.
The whole nature of this debacle is a slippery slope. If this law is “okay” in Indiana, is precedent set? Is it then okay in Arkansas?
It should also be noted that Indiana is one year removed from trying to ban same-sex marriage. This RFRA is just another attempt to discriminate.
Want to know who came to stand by Pence’s side? I’m sure you can guess. Let’s name them just in case: Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, and Ted Cruz.
I feel for the people of Indiana who are not discriminating against LGBT. It has got to be awful seeing what is happening to your state. To know that the nation and the world is looking at your state as exclusive. I know how I felt when California had struggled with prop 8. To think we were supposed to be such a welcoming state, and we were outright discriminating against people was very hard. I was constantly mystified at who these people were who were so discriminatory and biased. It was difficult. My heart goes out to you. If you need help showing your support, there is a website that sells “This Business Serves Everyone” stickers. Click the link to learn more.
We can not idly standby when one group discriminates against another. Thank you so much to those companies and individuals who stood up for what is right. It took a lot of courage. Just as I shrink in horror at the discrimination that some individuals are trying to mask as religious freedom, I also stand and applaud those that did not passively standby.
Let us see what happens when Governor Pence gets the updated revisions by the end of the week that he so adamantly pressed for. I am still waiting for him to do the right thing. I do hope his press conference wasn’t just all talk. Change this discriminatory piece of legislation. Better yet, also give the LGBT community what they deserve, equal protection under the law from discrimination.
Madeline Fresco 