Indiana Newspaper Calls for Equal Rights for All
August 28 2015 4:49 PM ET
In an editorial displayed prominently on the front page of the Gannett-owned newspaper, the editors told their readers this campaign is “aimed at convincing state political leaders to adopt a law modeled after Indianapolis’ 10-year-old human rights ordinance. Indy’s law provides strong legal protections for LGBT citizens, but has not placed undue burdens on businesses or religious organizations.”
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“The Star responded in that moment with a front-page editorial on March 31 that demanded of the governor and lawmakers: ‘Fix This Now.’”
Reaction to that editorial was swift, praising the newspaper's stand. Ellen DeGeneres retweeted the paper's front page and called it “absolutely perfect:”
“A day later, an impressive gathering of top business, civic and
academic leaders stood in the Indiana House chambers, along with House
Speaker Brian Bosma and Senate leader David Long, to announce that they
had reached a compromise to ‘fix’ RFRA by amending it so local human
rights ordinances would no longer be negated by the new law.”
And as The Advocate has reported, that April amendment to "fix" the
law turned the tide in favor of laws to prohibit anti-LGBT
discrimination and showed a growing number of voters disenchanted with
Gov. Pence.The editors wrote they now intend to hold leaders to their pledge to lead a statewide conversation about expansion of the civil rights law during the 2016 legislative session.
“We will push hard for our state’s leaders to embrace the value of rights for all and to write that into law.”
In their editorial published today, the board members said they will give this cause the same effort as in their previous battles “for better protections for abused and neglected children, more efficient local government, improved care for developmentally disabled and mentally ill Hoosiers, and other causes.”
In calling this legislation both “necessary and right,” the Star promised its readers, “We unwaveringly believe that means building a state where discrimination is not tolerated in any form.”
Read the entire editorial here.
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