GOP Governor Stands Up For Trans People

Remember when Michael Elisabeth Pence was governor of Indiana? Remember how he liked the idea of denying service to The Gays because he’s such a good Christian and his Bible is filled with Hate?

Well, Indiana has another GOP governor in Eric Holcomb, who was also Pence’s Lt. Governor, and he is a conservative just like Mike Pence; except for one thing. As Indiana battles over a Hate Crimes law [again!] Eric Holcomb has announced that he wants to be sure it includes protections for trans people.

Yes, in a state where Republicans have killed similar bills because they have included trans people, this lone Republican is taking a stand. And, naturally, he’s facing opposition.

GOP House Speaker Brian Bosma, an epic anti-LGBTQ politician, opposes including trans people in the bill because … wait for it … he’s one of those family values” Republicans facing numerous allegations of marital infidelity and is the darling of religious leaders in the state. Sound familiar? An adulterer beloved by Christians?

Still, Eric Holcomb remembers the stain on Indiana under Pence, for his hate-filled “religious freedom” law that allowed businesses to refuse to serve LGBTQ customers. He remembers the businesses that moved away, the drop in tourism, the drop in revenue that occurs when you make hate legal, and he wants no part of it.

And while Holcomb wants the Hate Crime law to mirror the executive branch’s nondiscrimination policy—which includes both sexual orientation and gender identity—Bosma is warning business leaders and activists not to push too hard to get transgender people included because it would bring “undue attention” to a state known as one of the most unfriendly to LGBTQ people:

“The result of this and how the discussion takes place affects every Hoosier and if this is a big knockdown, drag out, RFRA-esque discussion, it is not going to help anyone, and everybody is going to go to their corner and stand firm.”

Funny; the idea of simply protecting all the people of Indiana, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or non-religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, whatever it may be, hasn’t occurred to Bosma.

Luckily, it has occurred to the governor, and hopefully the legislature will listen to him; just like earlier this year, when Republicans wanted to strip transgender people from a similar bill, but Holcomb told them to either include gender identity or don’t pass anything at all. Legislators chose not to bring it up for a committee vote rather than protect transgender people.

And so, if Bosma gets his way and trans people are excluded , hopefully the people of Indiana will listen to Holcomb and send the cheating lying so-called Christians packing.

Because Hate should never be made legal.

LGBTQNation