Freedom Indiana, the group that successfully lobbied against Indiana's proposed same sex marriage ban amendment, is gearing up for a new fight next session.
Freedom Indiana's push to defeat the religious freedom bill known as RFRA this past session was largely unsuccessful – though campaign manager Chris Paulsen says that's because they didn't see the RFRA issue coming.
Paulsen says Freedom Indiana is back to being proactive, this time focused on including sexual orientation and gender identity into the state's civil rights statute.
"People in Indiana can be fired, denied service and denied housing for being gay and transgender and we want to fix that," Paulsen says.
American Family Association of Indiana leader Micah Clark says including what he calls "sexual behavior" in the civil rights statute is an assault on religious freedom.
"Who's being discriminated against now? Is it people of faith, who hold traditional values? Or people who practice homosexuality? I would argue that people who are really being discriminated against now are those who disagree with the agenda of Freedom Indiana," Clark says.
Paulsen says Freedom Indiana isn't planning an ad campaign, instead looking forward to a grassroots effort that generates thoughtful, productive conversations with Hoosiers and their lawmakers.