IU fights for equality

IU President Michael McRobbie announced Monday IU will join the Freedom Coalition against House Joint Resolution 6, and we back him 100 percent.

House Joint Resolution 6 would strip same-sex couples and marriages of their protections and rights and remove additional protections from unmarried
Hoosiers.

Effectively, the resolution would ban same-sex marriage by discouraging it altogether. It would also prevent any future legislation to change the resolution.

Constitutions in the U.S. have a general history of ensuring what citizens can do, not telling them what they can’t. Why start now?

Whether you support gay marriage or not, this kind of blatant discrimination is not what is going to move the gay rights debate forward.

It will cause upset and anger and will only do more damage than whatever imagined good it supposedly does.

As McRobbie himself said, “Equality, compassion and respect for individuals have long been the bedrock of Indiana University’s educational mission, and the lack of tolerance implicit in HJR6 runs counter to IU’s deeply held values.

“We are proud to join the Freedom Indiana coalition and, in doing so, stand with some of Indiana’s most respected employers and organizations on the side of fairness.”

The fact McRobbie and IU have come out against HJR6 in support of Freedom Indiana speaks volumes.

It means a large public institution has put its foot down.

IU is a well-known and influential school in the Big Ten and across the country.

This bold move will hopefully inspire others to take a stand.

It means IU has come out in support of its homosexual population.

Though it has always been implied, this is one of the first times the University has made a real and direct statement on this issue.

It means IU recognizes HJR6’s potential damages.

Though actually making same-sex marriage legal in Indiana is still up in the air and likely to face a long, uphill battle, our school’s condemnation of HJR6 means IU has entered the debate and understood the need to prevent discrimination and unfair law.

No doubt this will make a lot of people angry.

But backing Freedom Indiana has opened a lot of opportunities, more than it has closed.

Now the University can initiate serious efforts to fight for gay rights.

Students who have wanted to get involved, to jump on board and kick-start some real change, will finally have a chance.

It could mean more programs, events and clubs. Steady support for gay rights clubs already on campus, like Illuminate, the LGBT organization, etc.

We are far from equality for all Hoosiers, but it’s a step in the right direction.

This won’t solve the problems of the gay rights debate, but it will affect long-lasting change.

Good job, IU.

­— opinion@idsnews.com
Follow the Opinion Desk on Twitter @ids_opinion.