I’LL BE THE FIRST TO ADMIT — New York is a hot mess, but one thing it’s awesome at is giving the finger to other places in the USA that encroach upon civil liberties and basic rights. After Indiana’s recent acceptance of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, New York’s Governor Cuomo issued a press response basically banning non-essential travel to Indiana. And my hope is that his reaction discourages New York citizens from visiting there as well:
“Today, I direct all agencies, departments, boards and commissions to immediately review all requests for state funded or state sponsored travel to the State of Indiana and to bar any such publicly funded travel that is not essential to the enforcement of state law or public health and safety. The ban on publicly funded travel shall take effect immediately.
“New York State has been, and will continue to be, a leader in ensuring that all LGBT persons enjoy full and equal civil rights. With this action, we stand by our LGBT family members, friends and colleagues to ensure that their rights are respected.”
I’m sure there isn’t much Indiana has to offer New Yorkers anyway, but I think it’s badass that a major state government is standing up for the rights of Americans. So far Connecticut has also issued a travel ban, and several cities — such as San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington DC — are keeping government employees away as well.
You can read more about the RFRA, a law that allows Indiana businesses to cite their religious freedom as a legal defense, here. 