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Oakland Joins Boycott Of Indiana Over Religious Freedom Law
Oakland, California, on Tuesday joined a growing list of governments and businesses to boycott Indiana over its new Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which critics say allows businesses to shun LGBT people.
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said in a statement that the city will not spend taxpayer money on travel to Indiana and condemned the state’s law, which allows businesses to cite religious beliefs as a legal defense to discrimination, according to the East Bay Express.
“As Mayor of Oakland, I join with jurisdictions, private citizens, businesses and other entities around the world in denouncing the State of Indiana’s action and will continue to direct the City Administrator to deny the use of City dollars for travel to Indiana as long as this discriminatory law remains in effect,” Schaaf said.
Oakland joins San Francisco, Denver, Seattle, Washington D.C., and Portland, Oregon, in announcing travel bans after Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signed the bill on Thursday. Connecticut, Washington state and New York also have banned publicly funded travel by government workers to Indiana.
Several powerful tech companies near Oakland also spoken out against the Indiana law, with San Francisco-based Salesforce canceling the companies’ events in the state.
HUFFPOST READERS: If you live in Indiana, we want to hear about how this law is affecting you. Email your story or any tips to [email protected]. Include your name, the city you live in, and a phone number if you’re willing to be contacted by a reporter.
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