The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce postponed Tuesday’s planned private luncheon with Indiana Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch at the Graduate Hotel.
Crouch’s scheduled presentation, “Empowering Women Leaders IN Indiana,” came just days after Gov. Eric Holcomb signed into law an almost complete ban on abortions in the state.
Local community leaders planned a protest outside the hotel to coincide with Crouch’s appearance, but canceled it after her event was postponed. An email from the leadership team called the appearance “a slap in the face of all Hoosier women” and called for the Chamber to rescind its invitation.
The Chamber announced Monday night that it had postponed the appearance.
In a Facebook post, the Chamber wrote: “In consultation with Bloomington Women in Leadership leaders, Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce President Eric Spoonmore has announced the Lieutenant Governor’s event on August 9 will be postponed to a future date to be determined.”
Ron Green, director of communications for Crouch, said the lieutenant governor was informed of the postponement Monday night.
“The lieutenant governor was looking forward to speaking to the Bloomington Women in Leadership when the event was rescheduled,” Green said.
The protest organizers’ email said they were pleased the event was postponed but would like to see it replaced by an event focusing on the impact the abortion ban may have on the local and state economy and on the empowerment of women.
“We will not go silently into the night,” the email said. “Until the Governor, LG, and the Republican excessive-majority recognize the disempowerment and dehumanization of women and girls that is the result of them passing SB1, we cannot stand by and give this hypocrisy a bully pulpit.”
A spokesperson for the group organizing the protest said they asked the Chamber to cancel the event. But after being told the event would go on as planned, the group said it would hold a protest.
