THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

"Governor Holcomb did the right thing tonight in vetoing a bill that would only cause problems, not solve them, by targeting Indiana's transgender children and making them the targets of exclusion and discrimination in their own schools," said Human Rights Campaign State Legislative Director and Senior Counsel Cathryn Oakley. "HB 1041 would help no one — the bill's proponents could not summon even a single example where someone was impacted as a result of transgender students participating in school sports, which they've done for decades across the country. While we are encouraged that Governor Holcomb decided to veto the bill, transgender students in Indiana are not out of the woods yet. We urge lawmakers to uphold the Governor's veto because all Indiana children deserve better than being treated as political pawns - what they deserve is to be able to have fun with their friends, exercise, and learn how to be part of a team. This veto is a strong statement of Indiana's values and the legislature must allow it to stand."

Holcomb's veto comes after a recent survey showed that 52.1% of LGBTQ+ people in Indiana reported experiencing depression in the prior two weeks — more than twice the number of non-LGBTQ+ Indianans reporting the same — and on the heels of new data being released showing support for LGBTQ+ rights continuing to tick upwards in Indiana, even as HB 1041 passed the Republican-controlled legislature by a vote of 66-30 in the Senate and 32-18 in the House.

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ+ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.