Backlash intensifies as businesses, performers, states boycott Indiana over religious freedom law

INDIANAPOLIS — Businesses and organizations continued their boycotts by canceling events and barring travel to Indiana over a religious objections law that critics say would allow discrimination against gays and lesbians.

Gov. Mike Pence (R) has asked lawmakers to clarify the bill’s intent, but many aren’t waiting to see the results.

EVENT CANCELLATIONS

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Wilco won’t play a May 7 concert in Indianapolis. Comedian Nick Offerman of “Parks and Recreation” and wife, comic Megan Mullally, said they’ll donate proceeds from Wednesday’s appearance at Indiana University to the Human Rights Campaign and have canceled a May 16 show in Indianapolis.

AFSCME, a union for public employees, has canceled a women’s conference planned for October in Indianapolis.

The Mid-American Conference says it won’t schedule any meetings or athletic championships in Indiana until the issue is resolved.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

A number of companies — including Salesforce, EMC and Cloudera — have withdrawn their sponsorships for Indy Big Data, a tech conference scheduled in May.

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says he has also canceled all company travel to Indiana and pledged to “dramatically reduce” investment in the state. Salesforce bought Indianapolis-based ExactTarget in 2013 for $2.5 billion.

Amazon said it had canceled plans for its business development manager to speak at the Big Data event.

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Consumer reporting agency Angie’s List canceled a planned $40 million expansion of its Indianapolis headquarters, which was expected to bring 1,000 jobs to the city by 2019. CEO Bill Oesterle worked as a campaign aide to former Gov. Mitch Daniels, a Republican.

The National Forensic Association announced Tuesday it is pulling next year’s five-day national competition from Ball State University in Muncie. The tournament brings 1,200 to 1,500 students and coaches from about 100 institutions and was expected to generate more than $1 million for the local economy.

Other companies, including Apple, Gap, Levi Strauss and Marriott, are speaking out against the legislation.

TRAVEL BANS

The list of cities and states banning government-funded travel continues to grow.

Governors in Connecticut, New York, Washington state and Vermont have barred travel over the law, along with mayors in New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Denver and Washington, D.C.