Freedom Indiana

“Right now, in the majority of the state, if somebody wanted to hang up a sign that says, ‘No Gays,’ or whatever other term they decided to use, they could do that and be completely within the law.”

“The LGBT worldview and the Judeo-Christian worldview are opposites. When you try to reconcile sexual license with religious liberty, those two things don’t go together.”

“It’s not a Republican or a Democrat issue. It’s a fairness issue. I think Hoosiers want to be known as fair, because we are fair.”

“RFRA was embarrassing, but Pence hasn’t won elections by championing LGBT causes. And he still wields the veto pen, which is mighty indeed.”

RFRA goes into effect next month—but the law won’t be the last battle over LGBT rights.

Rings, flowers, musicians, dresses—opening up weddings to a new segment of spenders could mean big bucks for the Hoosier bottom line.

“This is a very progressive city,” says Hofstetter. “We wanted to do something positive to change the bill. For bands to give something, not take it away.”

Those 2014 Cadillac Barbie Pride Parade grand marshals include “a Bag Lady, an Indiana Fever guard, and two prominent soldiers in the battle against HJR-3.”

“We came together to show the legislature that there are young people who believe in traditional marriage,” says Chris Knight, a student. “Other groups like Freedom Indiana have tried to push to the media that young people are on their side.”

“We either have to look to the past or to the future,” Sen. Lanane says. “I just don’t think that this is a proposal that the younger generation sees as a need. If we are thinking in terms of what is best for the future of our state, we won’t do this.”

He worries that the controversy has gotten to the point where he and like-minded supporters of a ban are considered “bigots.”

The measure must win simple majorities in both Statehouse chambers again this year before the question is popped to Hoosier voters. Let the pots and pans fly.

In taking a public stance on the hot-button topic, Butler’s president joins a group of leaders across a spectrum of industries and entities who have denounced HJR-6.

“Indiana has traditionally had a friendly business environment that is the backbone of the Hoosier economy,” says CEO Jeff Smulyan. “This is two steps backward and runs counter to what businesses are demanding.”

Among Indiana’s higher-education institutions, the move is unprecedented to join Freedom Indiana, a bipartisan collective of business and organizational leaders, in the plan to thwart the passage of an amendment banning gay marriage statewide.