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Indiana Governor dodges question on LGBT protections again

Indiana Governor dodges question on LGBT protections again

Once again, Indiana Governor Mike Pence has stumbled while answering a question about LGBT nondiscrimination laws. Instead of answering a question asking if he thinks LGBT people deserve employment protections, the governor talked about protecting anti-gay religious beliefs.

The first term governor signed the controversial “religious freedom” law surrounded by religious right activists last year, spurring outrage across the nation. Pence bumbled his way through multiple interviews as he refused to admit the bill was meant to allow discrimination against LGBT people and kept trying to defend the law. After business leaders and celebrities publicly condemned the law and thousands protested in the streets of Indianapolis, the governor signed a “fix” to the law that didn’t really fix much of anything.

Freedom Indiana has kept the pressure on Pence as he continues to stagger through the controversy. During his yearly State of the State address, Pence refused to provide leadership and instead punted the issue back to the legislature with a warning that he wouldn’t sign anything that “infringed upon the religious liberties” of homophobic Christians. At townhall events and during press conferences, Pence has also stammered responses that skirt the issue without actually saying he thinks discrimination is wrong.

Pence’s appearance at a recent townhall event with constituents didn’t go any better after someone in the audience asked him about the issue.

“I’d like a simple yes or no answer,” the questioner said. “Do you think gay and transgender people should be able to be fired from their jobs just for that reason?”

Watch as Pence avoids the question while continuing to tout his commitment to allowing people to discriminate based on religious beliefs.

https://youtu.be/JY1FeQIgjsY
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