In a recent broadcast of “This Week” with George Stephanopoulos, Gov. Mike Pence said there has been “an avalanche of intolerance” poured on our state.
No, he wasn’t referencing the potentially discriminating nature of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act that passed last week.
He was referencing the reaction to the law’s passage from its opponents.
Gov. Pence was asked two separate yes-or-no questions on the program that he failed to answer definitively.
The first was whether it was now legal for businesses to discriminate against the LGBT community, and the second was whether he believed it should be legal to discriminate against the LGBT community.
For a man so determined to convince people the RFRA is not about discrimination, failing to provide the clarity its opponents are calling for is deeply concerning to the Editorial Board.
The RFRA is a law that has sparked outrage since its passage through the state legislature last week. Opponents point to the lack of a statewide ?anti-discrimination law on the basis of sexual orientation and believe the RFRA will allow businesses to use religion as an excuse to discriminate and refuse service to LGBT customers.
“RFRA says to people, ‘You are not welcome here,’” said Hannah Miller, president of College Democrats at IU. “Any business can decide that they don’t want to serve you. This could be for your sexuality, gender, self-expression, religious ?beliefs and so much more.”
IU President Michael A. McRobbie released a statement Sunday criticizing the law and its discriminatory implications. “For its part, Indiana University remains steadfast in our longstanding commitment to value and respects the benefits of a diverse society,” he said in the statement.
These fears, coupled with intensely negative publicity nationwide that has included a backlash from the business community, leads the Editorial Board to demand Pence and the Indiana ?Legislature to address this serious issue.
But when asked whether he would even consider putting in place any kind of legal remedy to quell the worries of those against the law, Pence ?responded by saying, “No. That is not in my agenda.”
So Pence acknowledges he is aware of the concerns, refuses to ?definitively say discrimination is not legal as a result of the bill, and refuses to do anything about it.
That is not the sign of a responsible and engaged leader; it is the sign of a politician so caught up in his own ambition, he has lost touch with his ?constituents.
Even if the law doesn’t lead to increased discrimination, Gov. Pence’s and Indiana Republicans’ refusal to ensure the law won’t lead to discrimination not only detracts from the reasonable protections it puts in place, but also shows their true intentions.
This law is about protecting against an attack on religion that isn’t happening and giving Christian conservatives a way of voicing their displeasure with the LGBT community.
Pence can say this is about religious liberty all he wants, but in the eyes of the Editorial Board, the avalanche of intolerance is coming straight from his office.
