Indiana’s religious freedom law is having quite the impact, both locally and nationally. And it’s a big old mess.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signed the bill into law in private without media or public attendance on March 27. The bill essentially calls for a high standard of government interest in order to use laws to meddle in the religious beliefs and subsequent actions of individuals, businesses and corporations.
But opening that door could allow for discrimination against the LGBT community by giving a sort of carte blanche to religious business owners. And, currently, there is no statewide law barring discrimination by sexual orientation, which throws open that door even wider.
Pence and his supporters didn’t see it that way, however. “This bill is not about discrimination,” Pence said in a statement announcing his signing of the bill. “And if I though it legalized discrimination in any way in Indiana, I would have vetoed it.”
But fast forward a week later and Pence is already signing an amendment to that bill, citing a misunderstanding about the law’s intent.
The changes prohibit businesses from using sexual orientation or gender identity as reasons to deny individuals goods, services, employment or housing. It’s the first time in Indiana’s history to extend anti-discriminatory protection based on sexual orientation across the state.
Making it illegal to use any of these ‘acts of freedom’ in a court of law basically removes the teeth from the controversial law, making it a great option for financial emergencies. But social conservatives are outraged at the update for just this reason, and for criticizers of the original law, the damage has already been done.
For the governor, one can imagine he is truly understanding the notion of sitting between the rock and the hard place.
Many are surprised that Pence even signed the bill given the pressure from Indianapolis businesses and even fellow Republicans to veto it. The Indianapolis-basedNCAA expressed concerns about the religious freedom bill early on, and other big-money businesses like the annual gamers conference Gen Con has said it would think about finding another venue if the bill was passed.
And other states, like Georgia and North Carolina, had no problem backing away from similar bills when they crossed lawmakers’ desks, folding under pressure from businesses and citizens to get with the times already.
Indiana lost its fight in banning same sex marriage last fall. Last month the senate approved a measure to provide access to social security and Veterans Affairs benefits for married same-sex couples, nationwide. This month the US Supreme Court is hearing cases to legalize gay marriage in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee and will issue a ruling by late June.
It seems that nationally America is on the fast track to fully address the civil rights issues of its LGBT citizens. But much like the civil rights struggles in the middle of last century, it appears smaller governments—and minds—have a little more dust to brush off before they catch up. Luckily, it’s only a matter of time.