Senate Republicans introduce LGBT bill, hundreds rally at Statehouse on both

Governor Pence was criticized for holding a private bill signing ceremony with conservative religious leaders, but Pence and other Republican lawmakers were criticized by those same social conservatives when they hastily passed an addition to the law which barred it from being used to deny service to anyway.

The bill, Senate Bill 100 written by Sen.

He also built in a $1,000 penalty for anyone who files what he called a “frivolous” discrimination complaint with the Indiana Civil Rights Commission.

“Programs and training are not enough”, said LGBT rights supporter Terrell Parker.

One provision would require transgender people to have established their gender identity for at least a year to pursue a discrimination complaint.

“With the state’s top businesses, a majority of Hoosiers, and even the media calling for across the board protections for the LGBT community, Mike Pence’s negligence on one of today’s top issues puts him on the verge of once again embarrassing the state of IN”, said Drew Anderson, communications director for the Indiana Democratic Party, IN an emailed statement. Those rules could not be considered discriminatory under the bill.

More than 200 opponents to LGBT protections rallied at the statehouse on Tuesday, voicing their opposition to the measure.

Indiana State senators presented a bill during organization day Tuesday that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to state civil rights law.

“They come to our churches and our homes and ask for our vote and tell us they will stand and then come here and compromise”, she said. It also takes on an issue that’s emerged in other states and communities that have moved to include gender identity in their civil rights law: It addresses the use of public bathrooms.

“The goal is to provide a few balance in this discussion with regard to discrimination, as well as religious liberty”, said Long. “This bill does attempt to address that in a way that has common sense associated with it, that makes sure we are not creating havoc in our public restrooms, particularly for our school children”.

The debate over changes in the Indiana Civil Rights Act officially begins Tuesday.

Speakers at a rally organized by conservative Christian group the Indiana Pastors Alliance said adding protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity would force them to violate the tenets of their faith.

‘I can just tell you that there’ll be strong language in there for both civil rights and for religious freedom, and so we’ll just leave it at that, ‘ Senate President Pro Tempore David Long said on Monday (16 November).

Maureen Hayden covers the state for the CNHI newspapers in Indiana.