When Indiana governor Mike Pence signed the state’s “religious freedom” bill into law last week, the backlash was immediate and scathing. Business heavyweights such as Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and PayPal co-founder Max Levchin condemned the bill; celebrities lambasted it on social media; Hillary Clinton called it “sad;” and states and municipalities across the country have banned taxpayer-funded travel to the Hoosier State (including San Francisco). The Bold Italic also posted a pretty badass open letter to the state.
At issue is the bill’s ambiguous defense of religious freedom — ambiguous because such freedom could extend to denying services to LGBT customers on the grounds that they represent a “burden” to religious conscience. Governor Pence said he would have vetoed the bill if it was about discrimination, and Jonah Goldberg of the LA Timesargued that Indiana’s law is essentially another iteration of the religious freedom laws that swept federal and state governments in the ‘90s. This morning, Governor Pence announced he would seek amendments to the bill that clarify it doesn't give license to discriminate against anyone.
Still, there’s reason to be skeptical about Pence’s commitment to equality in Indiana. When asked if he’d consider supporting a law that specifically prohibited discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, Pence replied, “I’ve never supported that, and I want to be clear, it’s not on my agenda. I think it’s a completely separate question.” Governor Pence is a Republican, you'll be surprised to know, and his party holds a majority in both the state senate and house.
Which brings us back to outrage. A number of media outlets and artists have channeled their disgust into witty, creative, or otherwise unique rejoinders to Indiana’s law. Today TheIndianapolis Star, the state’s largest daily newspaper, published a full, front-page editorial declaring simply: FIX THIS NOW. “Half steps will not be enough,” the editorial read. “Half steps will not undo the damage.” Lamenting the harm in store for the state’s reputation, economy, and quality of life, the Star’s response was a bold cri de coeur.
WrongToRefuse.com skewers the whole religious freedom argument by gathering other Biblically sanctioned reasons to discriminate. Hate puggles? There’s a proverb for that. Ditto for chatty women, make-up, messy hair, tattoos, butter, and — my personal favorite — "sons of dads who saw grampa’s junk."
On the video front, the New York Post’s new digital shorts division produced a mock tourism ad rebranding Indiana as a vacation destination for bigots. “That Hoosier hospitality that makes everyone welcome — especially bigots. Whether you’re a family of bigots, a couple of bigots, or just an individual bigot, you can …shame and humiliate people who are different from you.”
YouTube star Randy Rainbow took a more explicit approach for his parody of the song “Gary, Indiana” from the 1957 Broadway musical “The Music Man.” Retitling his track “F*ck You Indiana,” Rainbow blasts the state for adopting antiquated laws.
"Was I expecting this kind of backlash?" Governor Pence said this morning. "Heavens no." If he had, he might have rehearsed more for his fumbled media junket— or just, you know, vetoed the bill.
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