Indiana “Religious Freedom” law causes major controversy
April 1, 2015
The new religious freedom law signed by Governor Mike Pence last week has created a major controversy across the nation.
According to USA Today, the bill states that the government cannot “substantially burden” a person’s ability to follow their religious beliefs, unless it can prove a compelling interest in imposing that burden, or do so in the least restrictive way.
Supporters of the law say that the law prevents the government from infringing on individual religious freedom rights.
Opponents of the bill say that by using this law, businesses can legally discriminate against members of the LGBT community and any religious group by claiming that allowing these groups access infringes on the business owner’s religious freedom.
In the few days since the bill was signed into law, reactions have been swift and serious.
The governors of Connecticut and Washington have imposed bans on state-funded travel to Indiana. Organizers of Gen Con, one of the largest gaming conventions in the country are considering no longer having their event in Indiana.
According to Huffingtonpost.com, even Marc Benioff, CEO of tech giant Salesforce, has pulled out of Indiana and will no longer sponsor or attend the Indy Big Data Conference, scheduled to be held on May 7.
In response to the negative backlash of the law, Gov. Pence told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, “I signed the bill. We’re going to continue to explain it to people who don’t understand it, and if possible, we will find a way to amplify what this bill really is in the legislative process.”