Gov. Dannel Malloy’s decision to ban state-funded travel from Connecticut to Indiana by signing an executive order this past Monday is the most intelligent action taken in response to Indiana’s recent religious freedom law. Although Indiana’s governor, Mike Pence, claims that “this law does not give businesses a right to deny services to anyone,” the law is a clear act of discrimination that will lead to members of the LGBT community being ostracized since it gives business owners the green light to deny services to customers based on personal religious beliefs.
I wholeheartedly commend Malloy’s action to protest Indiana’s law because even condoning the consideration of refusing service based on a person’s sexuality is reprehensible and should be seen as a reversal of any progress made for the LGBT community. Additionally, rather than blaming Malloy’s written ban for preventing UConn’s head coach and some staff from traveling with their team to the National Collegiate Athletic Association Final Four that is being held in Indiana, we should hold the state of Indiana accountable for its decision to enact the discriminatory law.
The fact that coaches cannot attend the championship is ludicrous when the solution is clear. Since there is no foreseeable way for the law to not discriminate against the LGBT community, rather than allowing the discrimination to take form, the law must be vetoed before it can spread to any of the other 19 states that are considering similar measures.
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