The state of Indiana has hired a global public relations firm to help rebuild its image in the wake of national criticism that state politicians were hostile to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. The Indiana Economic Development Corporation, which leads the state’s efforts to attract and retain businesses, has retained Porter Novelli for an undisclosed sum. The firm’s task is to brand Indiana “as a welcoming place to live, visit and do business.”…. “Now more than ever, we want to remind the world that Hoosiers welcome everyone and that Indiana is a great place for individuals, entrepreneurs and businesses to reach their full potential,” said Indiana Secretary of Commerce Victor Smith, who leads the IEDC. “That’s why we are moving forward with this initiative together.”
So what do you do when, through your own ignorance, stupidity, and arrogant hyper-religiosity, you’ve convinced the entire nation that you’re a state populated by bigots, homophobes and cafeteria Christians? You not going to want to lose face by admitting your error, of course, so your only available recourse is to…wait for it…hire a PR firm to rebrand and rehabilitate your image. Turns out truth isn’t absolute; it depends on what you can convince sheeple to believe.
That’s right; no longer will Indiana be the butt of jokes from late-night comedians. No longer will people associate Indiana with hatred, discrimination, and cherry-picked Christianity. Going forward, Indiana will be presented, as Brad MacAfee, president of Porter Novelli’s North America region said, as “the incredible and innovative story that is Indiana today.”
Now more than ever, Indiana is a veritable paradise open to all (as long as your skin is white, your religion is Christian, and your sexuality is “normal”) who wish to do business in the Hoosier State. Except the reality is that Gov. Mike Pence and Republicans in the legislature have done a pretty good job of stepping on their dicks. They want to attract business to Indiana…and yet they pass a law making it clear that not all people are considered equal in the Hoosier State. Try as they may, no amount of PR magic is going to wash away the bad taste left by their “Religious Freedom Restoration Act.” The truth is that the haters behind RFRA will still be there, and this defeat will do nothing to silence them. They’ll simply continue working to marginalize and oppress LGBT citizens by whatever means they can muster.
In essence, nothing will change in Indiana. Sure, Gov. Pence signed a bill which clarifies that RFRA doesn’t allow for the denial of service to LGBT citizens based on “religious beliefs.” If anyone believes that mean attitudes have changed, I have a brdige I’d like to sell you. Bigots were busted for bigotry…but it’s not going to stop them from working to encode that bigotry into state law. Let’s just hope that next time around, it attracts as much attention and condemnation as this episode. Haters are going to hate; it’s up to the rest of us to keep them from having an undue influence.
