Indy Pride Opposes Current Bias Crimes Legislation
March 27, 2019
In the last several weeks, Indiana legislators have passed competing bills which seek to address bias crimes in Indiana.
From the beginning of this process, Indy Pride and coalition allies have advocated for a comprehensive and inclusive bias crime bill including gender identity and sexual orientation as protected characteristics. While the most recent form of this legislation includes sexual orientation, gender identity has purposefully been eliminated.
Indy Pride believes this is an intentional attack and attempted erasure of our Trans and nonbinary community. Therefore, Indy Pride cannot and does not support the current form of this legislation. We, as a community of LGBTQ+ Hoosiers, refuse to support legislation which ignores and diminishes trans and nonbinary people. It is clear that Indiana legislators cannot agree that people should not be harmed, threatened, or intimidated because of their gender identity, a position which Indy Pride finds to be indefensible.
Indy Pride will continue to advocate for equality among all people and fight for their right to live without harm, intimidation, or harassment and support legislation which reflects these values. We encourage you to let your voice be heard.
