http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/25/gen-con-indiana-religious-freedom-bill_n_6936698.html

Organizers of Gen Con, said to be the largest gaming convention in the U.S., have threatened to take their event -- and potentially millions of dollars -- out of Indiana if Governor Mike Pence (R) signs a controversial religious freedom bill into law.

Supporters of the bill say that the legislation will protect people and business owners with strong religious beliefs from government interference. Opponents contend that the law could sanction discrimination, particularly against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals.

I can see where a giant international event could be complicated if, say, a guy wearing a Star of David pendant gets refused service at a gas station along the way, the "Arab-looking" guy can't eat at a diner, the gay couple can't get a hotel room, and the kid in a jokey Atheist t-shirt can't rent a car. Even if 99% of businesses are fair-minded, it only takes one to really disrupt things.

This bill seems like a mean-spirited, backwards clusterfuck.

oh if they dont go to Indiana im sure perth western Australia would be happy to have them

Good for them. This is such a backwards law. What happens when the Aryan church tests this law?

Quote from: Just Another Snake Cult;821950This bill seems like a mean-spirited, backwards clusterfuck.

I really don't see a problem with these sorts of laws. Limiting the ability of a private business to operate as they wish seems to be the heart of capitalism.

May I suggest Denver as their new home?

Quote from: Brad;821958I really don't see a problem with these sorts of laws. Limiting the ability of a private business to operate as they wish seems to be the heart of capitalism.

The country has been down that road before, we don't need to go there again. I think we can have capitalism without the discrimination. I certainly have no desire to go to parts of the country that choose to resurrect these sorts of practices.

Quote from: Brad;821958I really don't see a problem with these sorts of laws. Limiting the ability of a private business to operate as they wish seems to be the heart of capitalism.

Will somebody please think of the bigots?

Quote from: BedrockBrendan;821960The country has been down that road before, we don't need to go there again. I think we can have capitalism without the discrimination. I certainly have no desire to go to parts of the country that choose to resurrect these sorts of practices.

And hence, you won't spend money, thus they go out of business...it's really not that hard. The law should not be regulating morality.

Quote from: Piestrio;821959May I suggest Denver as their new home?

As you may already know, a similar legislative proposal was recently killed in committee here.

Quote from: Rincewind1;821966Will somebody please think of the bigots?

I'm averse to regulating business, for whatever reason. Sorry if my economic stance seems bigoted to you.

Indiana resident here. Atheist, too, if it ends up mattering.

I'm beside myself with anger about this booger-eating inanity of a "Religious Freedom Restoration Act" being on the verge of being signed into law by our governor, some guy I didn't vote for named Mike Pence, who has stated that he's all but chomping at the bit to sign the damn thing. I really don't see the guy backing down on it; ain't nothin' gonna stop this crazy train.

Needless to say, I'm opposed to it. Oh, supporters of the act say it's no different from its federal equivalent, and don't you support religious freedom? Because it's all about religious freedom, after all. But, no, I don't buy that bullshit, and no, I don't support anyone's freedom to treat anyone else like a second-class citizen -- least of all when it's because of fairies or whatever.

With that said -- I'm looking forward to seeing this stumbling, booger-eating miscarriage of a law go into effect.

Why? Well...lemme put it this way: it' easier to punch something in the face when it's sticking its head out for you to see.

I wanna see this law in action. I wanna see someone use it; I wanna see someone make a stink out of it. I wanna see it become a national dialogue, and I wanna see America turn its head towards Indiana and behold this lumbering, oafish backwash of a law, like some kind of ideological Baby Huey that sniffs its own farts, and I wanna see America make a laughing stock out of our governor, our legislature, the notion that "religious freedom" is a smokescreen for "institutionalized discrimination", and of the Hoosiers who elected the representatives who voted for it and allowed it to happen.

I want to see it mocked, mercilessly, until such ideologies become so shameful that people reject them.

You can't take away the money and the support that these ideas have...but you can take away their dignity and their respectability, and in so doing, you drive them back into the holes where they belong.

Quote from: Brad;821970And hence, you won't spend money, thus they go out of business...it's really not that hard. The law should not be regulating morality.

The law should protect people from discrimination. We've heard these arguments before. We don't need to go back to letting businesses discriminate against people.

Quote from: Just Another Snake Cult;821950http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/25/gen-con-indiana-religious-freedom-bill_n_6936698.html

Organizers of Gen Con, said to be the largest gaming convention in the U.S., have threatened to take their event -- and potentially millions of dollars -- out of Indiana if Governor Mike Pence (R) signs a controversial religious freedom bill into law.

Supporters of the bill say that the legislation will protect people and business owners with strong religious beliefs from government interference. Opponents contend that the law could sanction discrimination, particularly against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals.

I can see where a giant international event could be complicated if, say, a guy wearing a Star of David pendant gets refused service at a gas station along the way, the "Arab-looking" guy can't eat at a diner, the gay couple can't get a hotel room, and the kid in a jokey Atheist t-shirt can't rent a car. Even if 99% of businesses are fair-minded, it only takes one to really disrupt things.

This bill seems like a mean-spirited, backwards clusterfuck.

I'm glad you used other examples other than just gay.  I mentioned this the other day in another conversation.  They pretty much admit that there's no difference between their discrimination of gays and pretty much anyone else, meaning this bill also allows discrimination against ANYONE as long as you use religion as an excuse.

This is a horrible bill no matter how you look at it, because it quite literally brings back things like this, so I can't see how anyone could possibly support it without coming off like a bigot:

Take it to Tangency!

It's certainly not a thread about RPGs, in any case. At best, this is Pundit-forum territory.

Quote from: danbuter;821980Take it to Tangency!

It's certainly not a thread about RPGs, in any case. At best, this is Pundit-forum territory.

Gencon not about RPGs?  Who knew...