Indiana University is the latest institution to oppose the proposed ban on gay marriage in the state.
University president Michael McRobbie announced that I-U would join the Freedom Indiana coalition in fighting the proposed constitutional amendment that would restrict marriage to between people of the opposite sex.
“The economic recovery in Indiana is just started to get a head of steam, and it seems to us that anything you do that makes it more difficult to attract top talent isn‘t something that we need to be focusing on,” said I-U spokesman Mark Land. That echoes arguments made by large employers such as Cummins and Eli Lilly as well as business groups like the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce. “Whether it‘s faculty members or senior administrators, we‘re competing with the best universities in the country; we‘re competing with companies for top administrative talent,” said Land.
Land says another reason I-U opposes the amendment is basic fairness. “Respect for individual choice and respect for equality is foundational to what we do. There‘s that issue that, in many ways, we think it‘s the right thing to do.”
The Legislature approved the amendment in 2011, but failed to take a vote on it this year. If it is passed during the 2014 session, it will go before voters in November 2014.
