DENVER — Denver Mayor Michael Hancock banned nonessential travel to Indiana using city funds Tuesday. The move is in response to that state’s “religious freedom” law.
Indiana has come under sharp criticism from all over the company because it appears the law permits discrimination against gays and lesbians. Indiana Governor Mike Pence says that is not the case, and he intends to make sure the law is fixed to clarify that.
“Denver is an inclusive city, and we take tremendous pride in that,” Mayor Hancock said. “Due to the actions taken by the State of Indiana, we will join with other cities across the nation in suspending the use of city funds for official business to Indiana. This law is just wrong, plain and simple, and we will not tacitly condone discrimination through the use of taxpayer dollars.
The mayor went on to say, “Should the state of Indiana persist down the path of discrimination, we would like the Indiana businesses to know that they are welcome here in Denver, Colorado, and embraced by our forward thinking community and workforce.”