Post by Logan on Mar 7, 2016 4:28:06 GMT -6
Efforts to include sexual orientation and gender identity in Indiana's civil rights code failed during the current session of the Indiana General Assembly, but several communities in Northwest Indiana and elsewhere across the state aren't waiting for the state.
It's been a lengthy but rewarding process for members of the group known as We Are Munster, as publicizing the effort has brought out more people in support of the idea.
Munster resident Amy Sandler started the ball rolling last spring when she brought up the idea during a Town Council meeting. Sandler and her late wife, Niki Quasney, were instrumental in getting the state's same-sex marriage ban overturned in federal court in 2014. Her speech wound up on YouTube, and the ensuing publicity helped inspire Munster residents, including Paul Rotatori and Ann Bochnowski, to get involved in the effort.
"I was just furious that the town was dragging its feet, and a nondiscrimination ordinance seemed to make perfect sense," Rotatori said. "After RFRA (Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act), it was a fantastic opportunity for Munster to differentiate itself and show that it is a welcoming community."
Read more: www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-lgbt-ordinance-nwi-st-0306-20160305-story.html
It's been a lengthy but rewarding process for members of the group known as We Are Munster, as publicizing the effort has brought out more people in support of the idea.
Munster resident Amy Sandler started the ball rolling last spring when she brought up the idea during a Town Council meeting. Sandler and her late wife, Niki Quasney, were instrumental in getting the state's same-sex marriage ban overturned in federal court in 2014. Her speech wound up on YouTube, and the ensuing publicity helped inspire Munster residents, including Paul Rotatori and Ann Bochnowski, to get involved in the effort.
"I was just furious that the town was dragging its feet, and a nondiscrimination ordinance seemed to make perfect sense," Rotatori said. "After RFRA (Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act), it was a fantastic opportunity for Munster to differentiate itself and show that it is a welcoming community."
Read more: www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-lgbt-ordinance-nwi-st-0306-20160305-story.html