Indianapolis in crisis mode after tourism hit by religious freedom bill

[DonViejo]

Source: Reuters

The rainbow flag, a symbol of gay rights, flies prominently on the Visit Indy website and Indiana’s Republican Governor Mike Pence personally phoned the head of a Seattle company that gathers 56,000 gaming nerds in the heartland each year.

These are just some of the signs that Indianapolis, a corn belt city of 850,000 with a $4.4 billion tourism industry, has gone into full-on damage control to make sure its growing convention business is not harmed by a national uproar over a religious bill that Pence signed into law last week.

The Religious Freedom Restoration Act – which to some meant religious freedom and to others a license to discriminate – was modified on Thursday by Indiana lawmakers to clarify that businesses cannot deny service to gays and lesbians.

Pence signed the clarified law on Thursday, soon after his Arkansas counterpart, Governor Asa Hutchinson, signed a modified version of a similar bill in his state.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/04/indianapolis-in-crisis-mode-after-tourism-hit-by-religious-freedom-bill/

[mountain grammy]

1. Awws, maybe they can set up a "bigot go fund me site" like the pizza place..

and all the good Christian bigots can donate.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. I-n-d-i-a-n-a-p-o-l-i-s

The city, not the state. The city has had LGBT protections for some time, IIRC.

I'm replying to posts #1 and #2.

[heaven05]

9. just use your search engine

for the klan and indiana....it's the STATE as well as the cities.......as well as a largish portion of it's citizenry....it seems...

[mahatmakanejeeves]

16. I did use my search engine.

Last edited Fri Apr 3, 2015, 04:14 PM - Edit history (8)

While events of the 1920s are of interest ... to someone ... let's concentrate on the issue at hand.

It is the city of Indianapolis that is the subject of this article - not the state, and not people who lived 100 years ago. If I am not mistaken, the current and living previous mayors of that city are opposed to the RFRA.

Try this: Google news for Indianapolis mayor

There, we find Fallout from RFRA very concerning to Indianapolis mayors.

8:09 p.m. EDT March 31, 2015

We, the five living mayors of Indianapolis, are distressed and very concerned by the fallout from the enactment of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The local, national and international response threatens to undo many of the efforts we have made, going back to 1967, to build an inclusive, caring, and hospitable city.
....

We call upon the state legislature to amend this bill, well-intentioned by its sponsors but damaging to the city and state in its unintended consequences, and clarify that the existing laws and wishes of our community will be fulfilled.

[PADemD]

21. well-intentioned by its sponsors?

[Chan790]

25. Political diplomacy.

Open letters don't go over well if you call the person you're trying to sway to change their vote/support/POV a "drunken sod-headed Christofascist pud-puller"...true as it may be.

[closeupready]

39. Really? Who are you, Jenny McCarthy??!

[heaven05]

28. well

Last edited Sat Apr 4, 2015, 11:20 AM - Edit history (1)

what was true 100 years ago, sadly, for the willfully uninformed and unwilling who can't face the reality of indiana today, is that 100 years ago IS TODAY. Just more sophistication and obfuscation to muddy very clear racist and bigoted waters. I could care less if you can't deal with that reality. It's not just indianapolis, indiana or the midwest region, it is a problem that is national and exacerbated by RW hate radio and television news. The RW leadership, both locally and nationally, will pander and say they 'abhor' racism and bigotry, yet they are the ones in charge and agitating for hate. Just because you can't deal with that reality does not make it any less true.

Just like 100 hundred years ago, there were good people in indiana that did not take part in racism and bigotry, yet that fact like today, does not stop a majority for voting for people like gov. pence and the people that drew up this legislative disaster. All that is making them take pause now is the loss of revenue to the state by lost tourism and businesses, not the legislation. I do still understand that it takes a majority to vote people like him into 'leadership' positions, both locally, state and nationally and that in indiana they are still in charge. They are not going to change their stripes. In ALL political 'leadership' positions, people like pence have been voted in by the majority. Have fun.

[LynneSin]

19. It took about a half day for the Mayor of Indianapolis to sign an exec order protecting LGBT rights

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/30/greg-ballard_n_6972928.html

GOP Mayor Of Indianapolis Signs Executive Order Protecting LGBT Community

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard (R) held a press conference Monday afternoon, giving his first public remarks since Gov. Mike Pence (R) signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act into law. The measure would allow any individual or corporation to cite its religious beliefs as a defense when sued by a private party and could open the door to businesses refusing to service members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

"Our city thrives because we have welcomed and embraced diversity," said Ballard. "RFRA threatens what thousands of people have spent decades building. And I won't allow that to happen without a fight."


Ballard issued a statement before RFRA became law, warning that the measure would send the "wrong signal" for the state, but Monday was the first time he had publicly spoken about it.

Ballard also signed an executive order Monday reaffirming that groups doing business with the city must still abide by its human rights ordinance, which bars discrimination on the basis of categories that include sexual orientation and gender identity.

The executive order also called on the Indiana General Assembly and the governor to "expressly add sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes in state law" and exempt Indianapolis from RFRA's application.

Ballard fought against this before it was even signed. He knows that hate bills, like what his governor signed for Indiana, might 'work' for people who live in the rural state where there would be little impact on the state's economy but would have a huge impact on the urban areas. So while those rural 'christians' are all happy they can hate away they don't have a clue that they basically have helped tanked their economy because it's their urban areas like Indianapolis that helps bring bring in the tourist dollars that boosts the state's economy. Nobody cares if a pizza joint in nowhere Indiana goes out of business even if a bunch of bigots want to do a gofundme site to raise $500k to help save the day. But if the NCAA Tounament decides to stop hosting championship games in Indianapolis, will those same fundies be able to round up about $20-$30 million with their gofundme sites to make up for lost revenue? If Salesforce or Angie List decide to expand their companies else where will the Christian Isis come up with another $10 million to help pay for the lost jobs opportunities for Hoosiers who can't find decent jobs now. Heck the Disciples of Christ Church pulled their conference which is valued at $6 million - will the Teahadists come up with another gofundme to help make up that revenue.

I feel bad for Indianapolis because they got dragged into this mess even though the Mayor wanted no part of it. Let's hope the voters think twice before electing batshit crazies to run their state. Rural people think the urban areas are nothing but a bunch of minorities living on welfare costing the rest of the state money. What they fail to realize is that most urban area are the key to a state's great economy and Indiana has a great one with Indianapolis with both the Indy 500 and their deal with the NCAA. So why they put the hateful bigoted needs in front of their economic powerhouse is just bad governoring.

[jtuck004]

22. "Let's hope the voters think twice" - They did in Wisconson. Got Scott Walker 3 times. n/t

[closeupready]

40. Oh yeah. I always have known Indianans to be, mostly, homophobic, so they support this law,

for the most part, of that I have no doubt.

[Corey_Baker08]

44. As A Resident Of Indiana WE THE PEOPLE Do Not Support This Legislation...

Yes there are some people that support this bullshit law, but there are a lot of us that don't. If you walk down the streets of Indianapolis just about every single business has a sign in their window that says 'We Do Not Discriminate' & 'Everyone Is Welcome Here'.

[closeupready]

46. Through your legislators though, you DO.

You, Corey, do not, I understand.

[Corey_Baker08]

47. Unfortunately You Are Correct The Legislators Suck

And those that continue to support them do as well...

I was so proud of Indiana Election Night 2008 when for the first time in my life, the state of Indiana went Blue in support of Barack Obama. I honestly thought it was a generational shift and the days of Indiana being solid red were over, boy was I wrong...

[closeupready]

48. Well, not your fault! But it was an encouraging sign of how things CAN change, huh?

[niyad]

2. maybe they should have thought of that before that hateful bill was signed?

putting a rainbow flag logo on a website proves nothing. why were all the crazies elected in the first place? did the tourism board say anything to the lege before the vote?

[abakan]

15. They thought no one would say anything.

The reaction took them by surprise because they thought no one was watching. A myriad of draconian bills the rebukes have installed all over this country, have been allowed to stand with little or no reaction. I think the people have had enough and are starting to use their voices to push back.

[niyad]

31. I guess they thought they could just keep on screwing with us, with no word of

complaint or pushback from us. ooops!

[ananda]

3. And yet, are any states suffering because of anti-choice bills ...

... and their war on women?

[phil89]

4. Women are affected by this bill

Too.

[deurbano]

12. Not if the bills are perceived to affect "just" women....

[Major Hogwash]

27. Not yet!

But, we're working on it, ananda.

[Quantess]

30. Where to start, though? There are just too many states to boycott!

That would be, like, half the USA!

[workinclasszero]

6. Welcome to Indiana! (except all you gay people)

Can't imagine why that didn't go over well with the tourist/convention folks!

[ieoeja]

20. Soon after entering Indiana on the drive from Chicago to Indy there is a "HELL IS REAL" billboard.

Last edited Tue Apr 7, 2015, 10:20 AM - Edit history (1)

I so badly want to put a similiar billboard a hundred yards down the road saying, "WELCOME TO INDIANA".

[tblue37]

32. Check your subject line, ieoja! Your hyperactive autocorrect has scammed you ! nt

[ieoeja]

37. Oops! I can't blame autocorrect. That was all me. n/t

[closeupready]

41. Yep. That IS Indiana. If I had a dollar for every gay Indianan who sought refuge

in other parts of the US specifically due to the homophobia in that state ...

[ieoeja]

42. The homophobes actually do themselves a disservice.

I grew up on a farm in Indiana, went to college at IU, and spent a few months after college living in Indianapolist before moving to Chicago. I was propositioned many times by gay men in Indiana during my 23 years living there.

In the 30 years I have lived in Chicago, I have only been propositioned one time by a gay man. He had just recently moved to the city from rural Wisconsin and hadn't become acclimatized to the "open" environment.

The great fear of all homophobes is that some gay man is going to hit on them. By forcing gays into the closet, they actually create the conditions in which a gay man might mistakenly try to pick them up. Even if some gay man in Chicago did find me attractive, before reaching the point of trying something he would learn through conversation that I am not gay.

Of course, I sort of miss gay men hitting on me. It was nice knowing somebody found me attractive!

That, and in the case of the Wisconsinite, the free beer. It was fairly obvious where he was headed early on. But I saw no particular reason to inform him I was straight as long as he was buying.

[closeupready]

43. Ah, the fluffer, lol! Hehe ...

[workinclasszero]

7. Do you mean the major of Indy, a republican, did not vote for and

help Pence and all the other gay haters get elected??

They got exactly what they voted for and I hope it hurts them extremely bad in the bank account!

Thats the only way to get the attention of a damned republican anyway!

[Myrina]

8. Well that's an exaggeration.

I'm in Indy, and nobody's in crisis mode.

[heaven05]

10. good for you in Indy

[Lars39]

11. Tourist revenue, etc, can stand to lose upwards of 150 million or so?

And that's a conservatively rough estimate.

[Myrina]

13. ... but some of the threats have been undone over the last 24 hours ...

... and the buzz has fallen away since the Final Four is about to start.

Really, the city isn't panicking.

[Lars39]

14. Heh, wait until the next budget meeting. :-)

[Smithryee]

34. Indianapolis is already down 6 millions in revenue

thanks to Disciples of Christ convention pulling out.

[closeupready]

45. So what - they'll just hit up Uncle Sam for the change like the red state IN is.

No worries.

[onecent]

35. I'm from Indy...and I LOVED THAT STATE...You go myrina....

I still have many relatives and Friends there and no one is in crisis mode either.

Du is getting so DRAMATIC.....LOL LOL LOL

[NYC Liberal]

17. Of course, they only care because of the threat to their own money,

Not because of the law itself or how it affects other people.

[workinclasszero]

18. You got that right!

Good republicans only care about their precious money.

[raven mad]

23. When we travelled through Indiana a few years ago -

a couple of aging hippies on an aging motorcycle, headed who knows where - just out for a ride, you know? We stopped at a B&B that had no rooms left but had a cemented and covered place out back. We camped there, and were joined by the cutest little tuxedo kitten. The owner left no doubt that she didn't much like my Wiccan symbol on the bike, but served a wonderful breakfast, introduced us all around, and supplied cards and recommendations for other camping/recreation areas in the state.

I had no feelings of any kind of threat like this. It's insanity taking over.

[blkmusclmachine]

24. 21st Century Jim Crow law. And don't think it's all about open discrimination against gay Americans.

WHO'S NEXT FOR THE VELVET SLEDGEHAMMER OF "RELIGIOUS LIBERTY"?!?!

[heaven05]

29. +100

[PeteSelman]

26. Sure, hurt the one city there that's on our side.

This whole thing is just going wrong. Hurt the one place in the state that's on the right side of the issue and the goddamn bigots get a million fucking dollars.

It's disgraceful.

[tabasco]

33. Tourists go to Indianapolis?

Okay.

[Cha]

36. Ha! Who didn't see that coming if Indiana wanted to survive? wonder how

the teabagger bigots feel about Pence giving in?

[closeupready]

38. LOL, karma can suck, but you know, at least that pizza place did well in the equation.

So, there is that.

K&R