USA’s largest gaming expo threatens to leave Indiana over anti-gay bill

Governor's office responded, indicating no plans to change course.

by Sam Machkovech - Mar 25, 2015 2:05am CET

Should Indiana's SB 101 pass, Gen Con, and its tens of thousands of attendees, may not return to create less-diverse characters at its convention center.

Ars Technica

On Tuesday, Gen Con, the United States' largest annual gaming convention, issued a political challenge to the governor of Indiana, where the con is currently hosted, over a bill passed by that state's House of Representatives the same day. The open letter ended by threatening to seek a new home should the bill pass.
The language of the bill, SB 101, resembles that of recent bills passed in other states in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling in favor of the Hobby Lobby corporation. The bill's critics have argued that it would allow Indiana corporations to openly discriminate against anybody they deemed out of favor with their religious beliefs, particularly members of the LGBTQ community.
In the letter, posted to Gen Con's Twitter account, Gen Con CEO Adrian Swartout spoke of the event's "diverse attendee base" made up of visitors from around the world, and he made clear that such diversity included factors like cultures, religious beliefs, and sexual preferences. After pointing out the event's economic benefit to the state, Swartout argued that the legislation "could allow for refusal of service or discrimination against our attendees," which would ultimately "factor into our decision-making" on returning to the Indiana Convention Center "in future years."
"We ask that you please reconsider your support of SB 101," the letter concluded in bold type. However, in a statement to the Indy Star, the office of Governor Mike Pence appeared undeterred in his announced plans to sign the bill into law, should it pass the Indiana state Senate.
For the past few years, Gen Con has battled for the title of "Indiana's biggest convention" with another, far more conservative entry: the National Rifle Association's convention. The NRA has yet to issue any statement regarding SB 101. Last year, Dungeons & Dragons, one of Gen Con's biggest games, stepped up efforts to encourage diversity by adding gender fluidity to the Fifth Edition's character creation process.