BY BTL STAFF
WASHINGTON — A new case study is being sent by the Human Rights Campaign to Michigan lawmakers urging them to reject anti-LGBT bills like the religious freedom bill in Indiana that would put LGBT people at risk for discrimination. The case study comes after the Indianapolis Star reported this week that the state "plans to spend millions to repair (its) image after RFRA."
The document showcases a new poll conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research. The poll found 75 percent of 500 Hoosier participants described the controversy as bad for business; 61 percent said it has negative impact on business; 42 percent of weekly churchgoers say that they should not be allowed to refuse service; and 62 percent rejected discrimination based on religious ground with 32 percent reporting that someone should be allowed to refuse services based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
"The lesson from Indiana is clear. Voters are rejecting lawmakers who are willing to put their state economy at risk in an attempt to further discrimination," said Fred Sainz, HRC's vice president of communications. "Elected officials, and governors specifically, who continue to experiment with these anti-LGBT bills that allow businesses to discriminate are going to find out that a $2 million PR campaign only scratches the surface when it comes to the cost taxpayers will have to bear for bills that enable discrimination."
The document will be sent to state leaders in 12 states: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas. It will also be sent to Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada.
Read the whole study at http://hrc-assets.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com//files/assets/resources/IndianaCaseStudy_Document.pdf.
