D.C. Mayor Bans Travel to Indiana in Wake of Controversial Law

Move follows passage of Religious Freedom Restoration Act

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser issued an executive order Tuesday banning any District-funded travel to Indiana.

Bowser is the latest official in the country to ban travel to the state in the wake of its controversial “Religious Freedom Restoration Act." She said the Indiana law discriminates against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in a way that would not be tolerated in the District.

Councilman David Grosso had called for the ban Monday. "Discrimination has no place in the District of Columbia, and our public employees should not be forced to travel to a place that prides itself on fueling anti-LGBTQ animosity," Grosso said in a statement.

The mayors of San Francisco and Seattle have also banned city-funded travel to the state. So has Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy.

The bans are a reaction to Indiana's new Religious Freedom Restoration Act, signed by Gov. Mike Pence last week. The bill says the state government cannot prevent someone -- including a business owner -- from following religious beliefs. Indiana has no statewide anti-discrimination law, and so some have said that law allows businesses to legally refuse to serve gay people.

Business leaders and celebrities have blasted the new law. Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, said in an op-ed in the Washington Post that the new law was part of a "dangerous" "wave of legislation that ... would allow people to discriminate against their neighbors."

The hashtag #BoycottIndiana quickly trended on Twitter.

Contact Us