Responding to an uproar resulting from the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, Indiana lawmakers will alter the RFRA to ensure that the law doesn’t allow LGBT discrimination, reported The Huffington Post.
Indiana’s RFRA defined “person” as being an individual or corporation and allowed religious beliefs as a defense in court. The law allows businesses to refuse service to anyone or anything that the business feels violates its religious beliefs, creating concern and outrage among the LGBT community and the public at large.
Because the RFRA essentially legalized LGBT discrimination, Indiana suffered a large backlash from dozens of large corporations, entertainers, and some cities ceased state-sponsored travels to Indiana. The RFRA’s new language protects LGBT people not only from refusal of service, but it also protects people on the basis of age, race, nation of origin, disability, and religion.
Leaders of the LGBT community applauded the amendment to the RFRA. Freedom Indiana Campaign Manager Katie Blair issued a statement of praise.
“The changes proposed by the Legislature represent a step in the right direction that takes us closer to achieving our goal of passing the Fairness for All Hoosiers Act,” she said. “Today, the harm has been lessened, but we have not reached the day when LGBT Hoosiers can be assured that they can live their lives with freedom from discrimination.”
Here’s the updated version of the RFRA.
