March 31, 2015 5:20 AM

Turns out that discrimination, homophobia, and cafeteria Christianity are bad for business

Since the year after its 1995 founding, Angie’s List has been headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The $315 million corporation which lets users review local businesses, especially home improvement professionals, has been planning a $40 million renovation of its own, moving its headquarters across town and adding 1000 new jobs over five years. But thanks to state lawmakers and Republican Governor Mike Pence’s new Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act, those expansion plans have been canceled…. “Angie’s List is open to all and discriminates against none and we are hugely disappointed in what this bill represents,” CEO Bill Oesterle said in a statement today, adding, the expansion is “on hold until we fully understand the implications of the freedom restoration act on our employees, both current and future.”

It would be far too easy to default to anger over Indiana’s astonishing endorsement of homophobia and discrimination that is their “Religious Freedom Restoration Act.” There’s much that’s anger-provoking about the new law, in particular Gov. Mike Pence’s undeniable lies and dissembling when it comes to what the law will enable and why he signed it. Why wallow in anger when the business community will speak out in a manner far more effective and long-lasting?

The business community outside of Indiana by and large understands that discrimination is bad for their bottom line. When you refuse to do business with someone, they take their money elsewhere, most likely to a competitor more than happy to provide the necessary good or services. The problem with this scenario is that when customers take their business elsewhere, it becomes difficult to stay in business. An owner does what it takes to be profitable; why else would anyone be in business? Refusing to do business with someone because you abhor their lifestyle and/or sexuality in the end really only harms you. The person whose money you refuse will simply go elsewhere to get what they need. You may feel better about yourself, but business doesn’t run on principle or whatever it is passes as “religious belief.” Business is about profit…which is tougher to achieve when you’re turning away business.

Given the number of businesses and government entities who’ve committed to boycott Indiana, there will be pain until the business community prevails upon state government to repeal RFRA. Adapt or die…and it looks as if, at least for the moment, Indiana has chosen death.

I wonder how that’s going to work out for them?

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on March 31, 2015 5:20 AM.

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