Long time, no diary for me, but this is something that impacts me on a number of levels. First, embarrassment and anger toward the state of my birth. Indiana is one of a number of states looking to legalize discrimination against the LGBTQ community under the guise of "religious freedom."
Actions have consequences, though, and at least one major yearly convention has urged Gov. Pence to reconsider his reported eagerness to sign the bill once it hits his desk. Follow me below the fluffy orange cloud for more about Gen Con and their letter to Indiana's governor--and why it's a big deal.
Odds are if you play a table-top role playing or tactical game like Dungeons and Dragons, Call of Cthulu or Warhammer 40,000 you're already familiar with Gen Con. But for the uninitiated, Gen Con--short for Geneva Convention--actually pre-dates Dungeons and Dragons. It began in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin in 1968, but since the 1990s has called Indianapolis home. It's less high-profile and influential than San Diego's Comicon, but rivals that event in attendance, with over 50,000 unique attendees.
I attended myself in 2012. It's really a lot of fun, if you're into cosplay, table-top role playing games, or miniature paintings in particular. It brings people not just locally or from across the country, but from all over the world. On one of the legs of my flight from Austin to Indy, I met someone who was coming all the way from the Netherlands to attend. And Indianapolis is a great host. I can't put it better than Gen Con CEO Adrian Swartout does in his letter to Gov. Pence (full text can be found here):
For more than a decade, Indianapolis has provided tremendous hospitality and accommodation to our attendees, culminating in an estimated annual economic impact of over $50 million to the city...Legislation that could allow for refusal of service or discrimination against our attendees will have a direct negative impact on the state's economy, and will factor into our decision-making on hosting the convention in the state of Indiana in future years.
My hope, if Gov. Pence signs this abominable legislation, is that bigger fish that regularly use Indianapolis for events, such as the NFL and NCAA, will follow suit. I realize that this will disproportionately affect small businesses in downtown Indianapolis, but perhaps pain needs to be felt for change to be possible.