Dear Editor,

Let’s be honest about the consequences of Indiana Senate Bill 100, which would add sexual orientation and gender identity to Indiana’s civil rights law. Proponents call it an anti-discrimination bill. But in reality, this bill is a crime bill — criminalizing the freedom of religious expression and conscience of tens of thousands of Hoosiers by forcing them to participate in activities which violate their faith.

But I have news for you. This bill will not just affect people of faith. It will affect every woman and child, including your daughters and granddaughters. All public restrooms, showers, changing facilities, etc. will be open to anyone who “feels” like using them (who “personally identifies” as the opposite sex). Are you prepared to have a man shower next to your wife or daughter at the gym, or to parade through the women’s locker room while exposing his “man-parts” in front of your young daughter? Many say this is merely a scare tactic and would never happen.

The problem is, it has already happened. Like at Washington’s Evergreen State Colleges Aquatic center where the college said they could not legally stop a 45-year-old man from lounging around naked in the locker room in front of girls as young as 6 years old. The girls were told to dress behind a curtain if they were uncomfortable.

Transgenders have rejected the idea of schools having a separate restroom for them to use because they say it makes them feel excluded and singled out. So instead, girl students are told that they can use the private restroom if they are uncomfortable. Making a hundred girls use a single private bathroom evidently makes perfect sense and doesn’t make all those girls feel excluded. I guess discrimination only works one way.

Also, to believe that this type of law will not be exploited by sexual predators is extremely naïve, as this too has already happened, as seen in Canada with the man who sexually assaulted women in multiple shelters after being placed with the women in accordance to the law because he “identified” as a woman. Folks, this is not just a religious freedom issue; this is a safety issue.

Contact your state senator and representative and tell them to vote no on SB100 and on any other bill that seeks to include sexual orientation and gender identity in Indiana’s civil rights law, or in any other form.

Rev. Mark Fishburn
Leesburg