The Problem with #BoycottIndiana

After 63 House Reps, 40 Senators, and Mike Pence gave the go-ahead on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the nation exploded. Concerned about the bill’s potential to be a thinly-veiled rationalization of discrimination against LGBTAQ+ folks, hundreds of groups have responded with outrage.

Local and national celebrities, businesses, religious groups, politicians, and conventions have gone to great lengths to express their opposition to the measure. I mean, when Reggie Miller, Miley Cyrus, and Tim Cook all tweet about the same issue in the same day, you know something’s up.

Big names like Salesforce, Angie’s List, the entire city government of San Francisco, the NCAA, Gen Con, and Yelp have all responded with threats or actions to reduce or eliminate their business dealings in Indiana. To these noble efforts to #BoycottIndiana, I have one word:

Don’t.

I am a proud Hoosier. I am queer. And I’m one of the thousands of LGBTAQ+ kids and adults across the state that are fighting for a place in this beautiful state. We’re here and we’re queer and when you boycott Indiana, you boycott us.

So stay. Stay and fight with us. Stay and offer a young lesbian a summer job in a safe space. Stay and donate to our queer candidates, lobbyists, and organizations. Stay and invest in housing that’s safe for transfolks. Stay and support our arts, our writings, our families, and our local communities.

Stay because too many people have told us again and again that we’re not wanted here.  Stay because I’m not ready to give up on the place I call home.

Don’t boycott Indiana. Invest.