As New Poll Shows 70% Support LGBT Protections, Mike Pence Says ‘Hoosiers Will Know Where I Stand’

Still not recovered from his disastrous handling of an anti-gay “religious freedom” law that deeply harmed Indiana’s reputation, and now up for re-election, Governor Mike Pence is still standing firm in the way of progress.

Mike Pence has always been clear about just how radically conservative he is. A U.S. Congressman for 12 years, Pence ran for Indiana governor on his record, and won. That record included strong opposition to abortion, same-sex marriage, and to legally requiring the hiring of women and minorities. Pence supported amending the constitution to ban same-sex marriage and to extend personhood to fetuses.

The problem is that like most Americans, Hoosiers have grown, but their governor hasn’t.

Remember Pence’s self-imposed disaster earlier this year, when he signed into law a “religious freedom” bill that was designed to discriminate against LGBT Hoosiers? That deeply damaged Indiana’s reputation as a hospitable and welcoming state, and it’s a state whose economy in large part relies on tourism and businesses holding conventions. 

The business community was furious, and Pence had to scramble to fix it, by pushing lawmakers to pass a second bill essentially negating the first. He also was forced to hire a PR firm that cost Indiana millions, to help fix its reputation that he almost single-handedly hurt.

Now, Pence is up for re-election, and the new legislative session begins in a few weeks.

Two new polls have just come out, one finding 70 percent of Hoosiers support protections for LGBT people, the other puts that number at 62 percent. But the bottom line is clear: the vast majority of Hoosiers may be conservative, but they’re not radicals. They support equality and believe in treating people fairly.

The question for them is, does Mike Pence?

Republican lawmakers have been filing legislation for the upcoming session. At least one bill claims to offer LGBT people protection from discrimination – Indiana’s LGBT community has none – but has been labeled “a wolf in sheep’s clothing” and “a road map for discrimination against LGBT people” by Lambda Legal.

Asked about that legislation this week, Pence refused to weigh in, instead saying, “Hoosiers will know precisely where I stand.”

If that’s the case, then they already do.

 

Image by WFIU Public Radio via Flickr and a CC license