March 31, 2015
The Rev. Peter Morales, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), issued this statement following the signing of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) by Indiana Governor Mike Pence:
“On March 27, Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed into law the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), a thinly-veiled attack on the civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. The bill was promoted as being necessary to preserve religious freedom in Indiana, but make no mistake: this bill was passed in order to legally permit blatant discrimination against the LGBT community. As president of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), I am appalled at the passage of this bill and condemn its desperate attempt to create second-class citizens.
Last year, when the courts struck down Indiana’s ban on same-sex marriage as unconstitutional, we celebrated another significant step forward for marriage equality. The passage of RFRA, however, reminds us that the road to equality is long and arduous with many obstacles in our path. But our resolve will not waver. This act of fear will not deter us. Legislators in Indiana need to acknowledge what a majority of Americans now profess: that LGBT people are deserving of full civil rights under the law, including the right to marry, and should not be subjected to discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation.
I am heartened by the opposition to RFRA by many corporations such as Salesforce.com and Apple. I applaud our Unitarian Universalist congregations in Indiana who are standing on the side of love to combat this deplorable legislation. And I vow to continue to fight against other bills – such as Arkansas’s HB1228 – that threaten the civil rights of LGBT people. Please join me.”
What you can do:
Read the response to RFRA from Indiana and Midwest UU ministers.