IUSA joins Univeristy in opposing HJR-6

The IU Student Association Congress voted to support the University’s stance against Indiana’s proposed House Joint Resolution 6 in its Wednesday meeting.

The resolution was brought to the floor before 31 IUSA Congress representatives. After some debate, it was passed with a vote of 26 in favor and five against.  

IU President Michael McRobbie announced in late October that the University would join Freedom Indiana, a coalition of businesses and organizations fighting against the proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and domestic
partnerships in the state.

The resolution supports the University’s decision to join Freedom Indiana. IUSA’s support follows the IU Graduate and Professional Student Organization decision Nov. 1 to also stand with the University against HJR 6.

IUSA Congressional Press Secretary Connor Shaw said he viewed the resolution as a way to represent student opinion regarding the University’s decision. He wrote the initial draft of the resolution and said it was approved by the Student Relations Committee before being brought to the floor.

“That’s just kind of the point of a student government is to speak for the students and try to give them a voice,” he said. “We feel like if there was any place to get a unified voice of the students, it would be the IUSA Congress.”

Representatives and sophomores Michael Su and Matt Shute voiced disapproval of IUSA’s newest resolution prior to the assembly.

Shute, a representative of the Forest Quad, expressed dissatisfaction with McRobbie’s decision to stand against HJR 6 without first consulting student government.

“It shows that McRobbie does not really, truly, care about what the student government thinks about his decision, because if he did, he would come to us for our approval before he made that decision,” he said.

Shute said students with more conservative or religious backgrounds may disagree with IU’s stance on the amendment and may now feel uncomfortable at the
University.  

“For a University that prides itself in accepting many views, there are countless Christians and other religious students on campus that oppose gay marriage,” Shute said. “It’s completely against what I thought this University stood for academically.”

Shute added that he does not believe the claims made by Freedom Indiana arguing the state’s economy will suffer if the amendment is permanently written into the
state constitution.

“Indiana has had a marriage ban for I don’t know how long, but it has had no ramifications on the economy,” Shute said.

Su, a representative from the Jacobs School of Music, echoed those sentiments and said his stance against the IUSA resolution does not mean he dislikes gay people.

“It’s not to say that because we don’t support gay marriage, we’re not here to say gay people should be immediately condemned, and we hate them,” Su said. “We’re just trying to say, look, here are our beliefs, and we’re just trying to get those represented.”

Su was not in attendance at Wednesday’s meeting.

When the resolution was brought to the floor to debate, Shute rose and expressed his dissent.

“I am under the authority of God, and all of us will be under the authority of God one day,” he said.

IUSA Congress members representing different areas of campus voted on the resolution. Shaw said he does not think IUSA is overstepping its boundaries by making this decision on behalf of the student body.

“That is our role, and that’s why we were elected, so I do think this is a fair application of what we were supposed to be doing,” he said.

Follow reporter Holly Hays on Twitter @hv_hays.