By: Ben Mixon
A week ago on April 26th, Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed a “Religious Freedom” bill that has caused many fists to be shaken and many teeth to be gnashed.
The bill, formally titled “Religious Freedom Restoration Act,” essentially states that the government cannot “substantially burden a person’s ability to follow their religious beliefs, unless it can prove a compelling interest in imposing that burden or do so in the least restrictive way.” (USA Today)
Supporters of the bill say it will effectively prevent the government from infringing on people’s ability to exercise their religious beliefs, while opponents argue it would allow business owners to discriminate against the gay community by refusing them service.
Some business leaders are taking a stand against the bill, claiming it could hurt their businesses ability to employ because qualified job seekers may worry about discrimination.
Openly gay Apple CEO Tim Cook said in an interview with Washington Post that the Indiana bill sparked “a very dangerous wave of legislation.” He also tweeted that he was “deeply disappointed in Indiana’s new law” and encouraged the Arkansas Governor to veto a similar bill.
Celebrities and politicians have chimed in to show their disapproval of the legislation. According to Topsy, a twitter analytics tool, over 200,000 people have tweeted the hashtag #BoycottIndiana in the last seven days.
