The recent statement by Indiana Equality / Indiana Equality Action regarding the need for a national discussion regarding the prioritization of full civil rights protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons has drawn comments from a number of groups and organizations across the country. The statement, in line with the recent declaration of the Dallas Principles (www.thedallasprinciples.org), has caused inquiries to be made regarding how the decision was reached, and how it might affect future public policy priorities for both organizations. Below please find, both from Indiana Equality (www.indianaequality.org) and from Indiana Equality Action (www.indianaequalityaction.org), a response to these inquiries.
1.
Was this a unanimous
board decision since it's such a controversial issue? If not, did any of the organizational
representatives to the board vote in favor of the statement?
The Indiana Equality (IE) Board of Directors
was unanimous (with one abstention) in its decision to support full lesbian,
gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) inclusion in the United States Civil
Rights code. IE knew that it would be
controversial, but believes that there had been a failure to have a national
discussion on such an important issue and that it is time for such a
discussion. We have since noted that the
Dallas Principles (www.thedallasprinciples.org)
are in support of full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
persons in our nation’s civil rights protections. Indiana Equality does not have organizational
members; we refer you to Indiana Equality Action (IE Action).
2.
Will Indiana Equality
be withdrawing from the United ENDA coalition?
We have made no formal decision on Indiana
Equality’s participation in United ENDA but we fully support inclusion of
gender identity/expression in any LGBT legislation, whether at a local, state,
or national level.
3.
Will Indiana Equality
support legislation to outlaw employment discrimination based on gender
identity or sexual orientation if it is introduced into the Indiana legislature
next session?
Indiana Equality was organized to support
full LGBT civil rights protections in the areas of employment, housing,
education, and public accommodations within the Indiana civil rights code. Such
legislation has been introduced in each of the past several years and continues
to be a public policy priority for IE Action, the sister organization of
Indiana Equality.
4.
Has Indiana Equality
placed an emphasis on state-level employment non-discrimination legislation in
past sessions? What has been the group's
main priority?
Indiana Equality’s priorities are full
statewide civil rights protections for LGBT citizens, and to assist local LGBT
and or LGBT-friendly groups to obtain their community’s civil rights
objectives. IE continues to support our sister organization, IE Action, in the
advancement of state civil rights protections.
Kathy
Sarris, President, Indiana Equality
Jon
Keep, Chair, Indiana Equality
Indiana
Equality Action (IE Action), a coalition of statewide and regional
organizations in Indiana, is dedicated to pursuing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender (LGBT) friendly legislative goals in state and local venues.
1.
Was this a unanimous
board decision since it's such a controversial issue? If not, did any of the organizational
representatives to the board vote in favor of the statement?
The statement proposed (in January) and
finalized (in May) to lay out our objections to the current Employment Non
Discrimination Act was completed in the Indiana Equality board. Wally Botich (IE Action President) and Randy
Studt (IE Action Vice President) serve as liaisons to, and members of, the IE
board of directors.
2.
Will Indiana Equality
be withdrawing from the United ENDA coalition?
IE Action - as the state-level lobbying
sister organization to Indiana Equality - has made no decision as to membership
in United ENDA coalition.
3.
Will Indiana Equality
support legislation to outlaw employment discrimination based on gender
identity or sexual orientation if it is introduced into the Indiana legislature
next session?
With the support of several legislators in
both the Indiana House of Representatives and Indiana Senate, IE Action
continues the education, coalition building, and advocacy necessary to secure
protections for LGBT Hoosiers against discrimination in employment, housing, education
and public accommodations. Such
legislation is a major priority for the 2010 session of the Indiana General
Assembly.
On the local level, IE Action is, in
partnership with IE, has been involved across the state in working with local
groups to obtain human rights ordinances which include sexual orientation and
gender identity/expression. These local
laws cover employment, housing, education, public accommodations, as does the
Indiana and US Civil Rights code. In
addition to the seven localities that currently have such protections; IE
Action is supporting the efforts of IE’s field organizer to expand the number
of Indiana communities with such protections.
4.
Has Indiana Equality
placed an emphasis on state-level employment non-discrimination legislation in
past sessions? What has been the group's
main priority?
Legislation to provide LGBT protections in
the areas of employment, housing, education, and public accommodations has been
introduced in the Indiana General Assembly for the past several years, most
recently by State Representative Mary Ann Sullivan this year. IE Action has prioritized the inclusion of
both sexual orientation and gender identity/expression in the Indiana civil
rights code since the time that the statewide coalition was formed in 2003.
Walter
Botich, President, Indiana Equality Action
Randy
Studt, Vice President, Indiana Equality Action
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