Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard (R) on Monday denounced Indiana’s new religious freedom law and issued an executive order to help ensure that gays and lesbians are still protected from discrimination in the city.
“Our city thrives because we have welcomed and embraced diversity. And RFRA threatens what thousands of people have spent decades building,” he said in a Monday press conference, according to the Indianapolis Star. “Discrimination is wrong. And I hope that message is being heard loud and clear at our Statehouse.”
Ballard’s executive order reaffirmed the city’s existing policy that prohibits anyone who receives city funds from discriminating against people based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
The order also called on Gov. Mike Pence (R) and the state legislature protect gay people from discrimination in state law.
The Indianapolis City Council on Monday passed a resolution opposing the religious freedom law. Council Vice President John Barth (D) said the resolution was intended to “send a crystal clear message that Indianapolis is a welcoming and diverse city,” according to the Indianapolis Star.
According to the Indianapolis Star, the Indianapolis anti-discrimination ordinance includes sexual orientation as a protected class, but city leaders are not sure whether the new state law would override the protections.
I would hate to be the judge in whose court the obvious litigation lands. But until someone issues a stay or a final decision, this would seem to be the law in Indianapolis.
The Indy mayor seems to be playing “good cop” to the governor’s “bad cop”, so the GOTP can reap the benefits from legalized discrimination and beat down anyone opposed to the practice.
I don’t think so. The people/reps that support these biills are the rural types that have no skin in the game. Not the cities that have the conventions and businesses that will be effected.
actually, indy is a great town. maybe they can get an exemption from the law. then the rest of the state can discriminate to their hearts’ content? indy could be the no-go zone for hate and discrimination within the state.
The huge majority council vote is the story not the mayor’s executive fig leaf.