Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/26/15 at 4:31pm

While supporters of the new law say it protects Hoosiers from unconstitutional government interference with one's "exercise of religion," opponents have labeled it a "license to discriminate," noting that bill emboldens individuals and businesses to refuse service to LGBT people — or anyone else who allegedly offends a citizen's sincerely held religious belief.

"Today I signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, because I support the freedom of religion for every Hoosier of every faith," the Republican Governor said in his statement. "The Constitution of the United States and the Indiana Constitution both provide strong recognition of the freedom of religion but today, many people of faith feel their religious liberty is under attack by government action."...

As with similar legislation introduced around the country, the Indiana law does not specifically mention LGBT people or same-sex marriage. Instead, it couches its so-called license to discriminate in a stated desire to protect "religious freedom."

By doing so, SB 101 inculcates any "person" — defined as an individual, organization, religious society, church, corporation, company, "unincorporated association or another entity" — from any "government entity" that may "substantially burden a person's exercise of religion." The legislation does not define what constitutes a "substantial burden," though it does provide relief for the possibility that such religious freedom might be burdened in the future.
Gov. Mike Pence Just Gave Indiana a 'License to Discriminate'

[tazber]

Posted: 3/26/15 at 6:52pm

I hope many other companies follow Salesforce and pull their business from the state.

[South Florida]

Posted: 3/26/15 at 6:57pm

^ Yes

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 3/26/15 at 7:39pm

Audra's beautiful, angry response

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/26/15 at 7:43pm

Audra McDonald just responded to Governor Pence in six tweets:

===


Audra McDonald @AudraEqualityMc
.@GovPenceIN Some in my band are gay & we have 2 gigs in your state next month. Should we call ahead to make sure the hotel accepts us all?

Audra McDonald @AudraEqualityMc
.@GovPenceIN or could you maybe send us a list of where its okay for us to go? Might the law apply to me?(I'm black).

Audra McDonald @AudraEqualityMc
.@GovPenceIN or maybe I should fire my gay band members just to be on the safe side.

Audra McDonald @AudraEqualityMc
.@GovPenceIN Or MAYBE...we need to stick to singing in states that don't legislate hate?

Audra McDonald @AudraEqualityMc
.@GovPenceIN Or MAYBE I donate the money I make in your state while Im there to organizations that will combat your hateful legislation.

Audra McDonald @AudraEqualityMc
.@GovPenceIN Yep. That's what I'll do. Hey @HRC get ready for a little money coming your way from Indiana via me to you! Have at it!


===


And then a seventh:

Audra McDonald @AudraEqualityMc
Thanks to those who have made me aware of @freedom_indiana. I will definitely donate to them as well.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/26/15 at 7:50pm

NO AUDRA NO! I LOVE YOU BUT NOT THE HRC!!! ("The world's most expensive catering company!" -- Justin Sayre).


How about Freedom Indiana?

Updated On: 3/26/15 at 07:50 PM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/26/15 at 7:56pm

I was just seeing that as you posted it, Reggie.

Namo--she must have heard you because she just added Freedom Indiana.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/26/15 at 7:59pm

OMG, I hope we can become besties now!

[Fantod]

Posted: 3/26/15 at 8:22pm

Love Audra's response. Shame on Indiana and the legislators who chose to pass such a disgusting and discriminating bill.

[South Florida]

Posted: 3/27/15 at 3:36pm

The NCAA got out in front of an issue for a change. Their headquarters are in Indianapolis and they're not pleased. Other events that are scheduled there, like the occasional Super Bowl, Final Four, are going to be next in flight from the state. Surprising when the young of this country are growing up how some keep regressing. Indiana is going to regret the day they did this.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 3/27/15 at 4:51pm

And it looks like Arkansas is going down this same path.


Arkansas

Updated On: 3/27/15 at 04:51 PM

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 3/27/15 at 8:46pm

Interesting one but very wrong.

I thought this thread would of got a stronger reaction than this so far, given the amount of a LGBT community on here.

I wonder how this law came about? And by interesting one, which I mentioned on my introduction paragraph is that hard in the UK, recently there was a case of where a Christian bed and breakfast owners, wouldn't allow a gay couple stay in their establishment. This went to both the high court and parliament. So I wonder if that I where this law comes from.

Once again the small bigoted voice of religion wins again. Because they are a cohesive unit.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 3/27/15 at 9:29pm

Phantom, claimed religious objections to providing certain services has been a hot button issue here in the U.S. for a while now. One case concerned businesses not wanting to offer insurance plans which will fund reproductive health for religious reasons (Burwell v. Hobby Lobby). That didn't end too well in the U.S. Supreme Court. Then there was an Oregon couple with a bakery with a wedding cake business who refused to make a cake for a lesbian wedding. That didn't end so well for them when they were sued.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 3/27/15 at 9:32pm

Thanks for that.

The later was big news here in the UK also.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 3/27/15 at 10:28pm

Ladybird Bachman got caught in Indiana's snare!
http://conservativefrontline.com/marcus-bachmann-refused-service-in-indiana-store-owner-assumed-he-was-gay/

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/27/15 at 11:16pm

I don't know if Conservative Frontline is a satire site or not, but I'm calling BS. It's hilarious but a little too on the nose.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 3/28/15 at 12:00am

I agree, but I did get a chuckle from it.

[bethnor]

Posted: 3/28/15 at 1:02am

the liberal attempt to keep playing nice with religion is puzzling.

as this latest episode shows, it is incapable of playing nice. a cold, dispassionate assessment of the situation is that 90% of the homophobia in the world today comes from religion. this is because when the jewish tribes were cooking up their religion 2000 odd years ago, one of their chief concerns was increasing the number of the tribe. thus it is extremely hostile to any form of sex not involved in procreation. remember that onan was struck dead for jerking off.

even if you don't think gay rights is a real thing, think of the thousands of years of unnecessary misery and guilt inflicted on men from the terrible opprobrium on masturbation--it's only been acknowledged as a healthy activity a decade or so ago. they used to pour hydrochloric acid on boys to keep them from jerking off.

on the flip side, it is true that their victories always turn to ash in their mouths. gay marriage is sweeping the nation in part because prop 8 went through--and with social media, people could see with their own eyes the horror and suffering it causes. so it will be with this indiana law--it is only regrettable so many lives have to be ruined in the interval.

here's the pic from the signing. nice to see nearly everyone surrounding the governor is decked out in holy orders. the plus of this is that the picture will never truly disappear from the internet, and everyone of them in it will have to live down the shame of being there after gay rights are the norm, 20 or 30 years from now. i wonder how they'll lie to their family members by saying they were for gay rights all along, and that they were merely "misinterpreting" the holy books.

https://twitter.com/GovPenceIN/status/581099613123379200

Updated On: 3/28/15 at 01:02 AM

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 3/28/15 at 11:33am

I think this is a great idea

[Auggie27]

Posted: 3/28/15 at 12:14pm

Another aspect of this debacle is the sheer dollars and cents insanity, from a business standpoint. Did no one research the way Arizona (redder than red) responded when that fascista Governor Brewer almost signed the same style legislation? Did any idiot who is a beloved GOP constituent, "a small business owner," stop and pragmatically consider the marketing nightmare for the state in 2015? The backlash already begun? Once blacklisted by a culture increasingly impatient with establishing gay equality, not the opposite. I marvel at the willful employment of ignorance here, the smug refusal to consider implications beyond their immediate self-satisfied photo op. Which, as someone on FB noted, looks like a 3rd rate bus and truck of "Sound of Music."

[SNAFU]

Posted: 3/29/15 at 1:30pm

OK, that FB comment made me LOL!

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/29/15 at 2:16pm

The governor and other supporters of the bill are attempting to say that it's identical to the laws in 19 other states and the federal law. Even the article below in the Washington Post takes this mistaken assumption.

It's important to note the distinction: This bill wa the first to accord businesses the same rights as an individual.

Don't let them blame this bill on the other 19 states--or Bill Clinton!

Indiana must own this bigotry and take the consequences.



WASHINGTON POST: 31 states have heightened religious freedom protections

[South Florida]

Posted: 3/29/15 at 3:08pm

The heat is on Governor Pence, it's fun to watch, the backtracking has already started.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 3/29/15 at 3:27pm

^ If only the same could be said for you, a self-admitted homophobic bigot.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 3/29/15 at 3:34pm

I've seldom seen as embarrassing a display as his interview with George Stephanopoulos.