Ok, so I currently go to a small, private, liberal arts university in southern Indiana. Based on people I know on campus and off, there's a LOT of backlash from the general public about this, especially the Indiana residents I know. Quite a few of my friends take issue with the racial discrimination factors that also play into this bill. But I've noticed that there's been a lot of dissent in general regarding the state government's policy decisions as of late - they also did some crazy stuff with public education standards that really ticked off my roommates (who are education majors) and some other primary and secondary school educators in the area that I know.
Considering Indiana (particularly Indianapolis) has been on the rise lately, this really sucks for the state. It sucks for the economy and also for the universities in the state that are known nationally for their arts programs and heavily recruit for these programs outside the state's borders (especially theatre - there are 2 highly-regarded musical theatre schools and a top-10 acting school scattered around the state). There are also some other huge economic beneficiaries, like Drum Corps International, who may leave the state to conduct business.
I'm from eastern Kentucky, which is definitely a little less progressive than Indiana, so this bill is a bit of a surprise. The only right-wing outcry I really experience here is the frequent gathering of pro-life folks outside the Planned Parenthood office down the street from my campus.
EDIT: Let me also add that I haven't seen or heard tale of a single business in at least my area that has actually refused service to someone for this reason. I think they realize that our city has such a huge proportion of college students (2 universities plus a couple community colleges) and is in such a rocky financial state that they honestly couldn't afford to turn away anyone. (I see a LOT of backlash from local businesses here, particularly bars)
Every living soul has got a voice - you've got to give it room and let it sing.
Updated On: 3/30/15 at 08:32 PM