America
Indiana amends law discriminating against gays
Washington, April 3
The Indiana state's House
of Representatives has announced that it will amend the state's
controversial law on religious freedom, which has engendered much
criticism for allowing discrimination against homosexuals.
The
head of the lower house, Republican Brian Bosma, said on Thursday he
wanted to make it "very clear" that the law permitted no leeway to
"allow discrimination", Efe news agency reported.
Indiana
Governor Mike Pence, also a Republican, last week signed the law giving
free rein to the state's businesses to prohibit entry or deny service to
homosexual couples in the name of "religious freedom".
The
legislation sparked a huge controversy and unleashed criticism not only
from gay rights defence groups but also from businessmen, Republican and
Democratic politicians and even the White House.
Bosma refuted
those criticisms on Thursday and, although he did not specify what
changes would be made to the law, said that the text would reflect the
fact that Indiana valued everyone, including gays, heterosexuals,
blacks, whites, religious believers and non-believers.
The
message should be clear that Indiana was "open for business", welcomed
everyone and did not discriminate against anyone, the lawmaker insisted.
On Wednesday, Pence asked the state legislature to evaluate the changes that should be made to the law.
He
said that the legislature was unfairly criticised and mistakenly
represented by the media, and that no discrimination of gays or lesbians
would be condoned.
The possibility that the law would allow
businesses and business owners to deny services to homosexual customers
and consumers had put businessmen in the state against it out of fear
that they could lose investment and sales.
The White House said on Thursday that the controversial law was discriminatory and went against the interests of businessmen.
Apple CEO Tim Cook came out against the law in an op-ed piece, calling it "very dangerous".
And
the Arkansas state legislature passed a law very similar to Indiana's
earlier this week, but Governor Asa Hutchinson refused to sign it. He
asked state lawmakers to modify the text to guarantee that it would not
allow denial of service to homosexuals.