Veto SB 101 Campaign Calls on IN Governor to Veto License to Discriminate Bill

Veto SB 101 campaign calls on Indiana Governor Mike Pence to veto license to discriminate bill; challenges Indiana business leaders to speak out

Indianapolis, IN - March 23, 2015 – Moments ago, the Indiana legislature passed their so-called "religious freedom" legislation, Senate Bill 101. This law is the latest in a national effort by religious extremists to chip away at gains made by the LGBT community by codifying a license to discriminate into law.   

Governor Mike Pence has indicated his intention to sign this bill into law. It is imperative that the Governor rethink his support and – as his colleague, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, did last year – veto this unnecessary, discriminatory and business-hostile bill.

SB 101 is just one wave in a tsunami of anti-LGBT bills that have been filed by state legislators across the country this year. The Human Rights Campaign has catalogued more than 85 bills have been filed in 26 state legislatures. While purporting to be about "religious freedom," these bills are little more than Trojan horses intending to give legal and state endorsement to discriminatory practices that exclude LGBT individuals from legal protections and community participation.

"As a seminary graduate, this bill is deeply offensive," said Heather Cronk, co-director of GetEQUAL. "The fact that religion is being used as a smokescreen for deeply hateful and vile sentiments by right-wing extremists, and then cemented into law, is not just un-Christian – it's un-American."

As activist Scott Wooledge puts it:  "I've engaged in the battles against these bill in Arkansas, Arizona, and Tennessee in 2011. My message to those pushing these regressive, reactionary "religious freedom" laws is we will follow you to whatever state you try this and we will fight you aggressively. And my message to our allies and friends is we will pressure to defend your LGBT friends' and workers' right to live their lives free of discrimination." 

Scott McCorkle, CEO of the Salesforce Marketing Cloud of Indianapolis, has also said SB 101 threatens future growth in Indiana. "Our success is fundamentally based on our ability to attract and retain the best and most diverse pool of highly skilled employees…" The Indiana Chamber of Commerce, engine maker Cummins, health-care provider Eskenazi Health and pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Co. have also voiced concerns about SB 101's impact on their businesses.

Governor Pence now has seven days to act on the bill. While time remains, the Veto SB 101 campaign will directly engage the Indiana business communities and leaders to take a clear position on this legislation. Direct inquiries have been made to Indiana's ten largest employers by state size. The Veto SB 101 campaign will provide updates on the site as information becomes available.

Veto SB 101 (www.vetosb101.com) is a spontaneous national nonpartisan coalition campaign organized to encourage Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana to veto Indiana's discriminatory "religious freedom" bill.

GetEQUAL is a national grassroots social justice organization whose mission is to empower the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community and our allies to take bold action to demand full legal and social equality, and to hold accountable those who stand in the way. For more information go to www.getequal.org. You can also follow GetEQUAL on Facebook at www.facebook.com/getequal or on Twitter at @GetEQUAL.