Gay rights groups: Proposed changes to religious law a start

Freedom Indiana is fighting for LGBT rights in the state.

Indianapolis (AP) — Two gay rights groups say proposed changes to Indiana's new religious objections law reduce concerns that gays and lesbians could face discrimination, but lawmakers must take other steps to broaden those protections.

Freedom Indiana campaign manager Katie Blair says the proposed changes "represent an important step forward" and reduce the threat to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Hoosiers.

But Blair says statewide anti-discrimination laws for the LGBT community are still needed and without them "discrimination is still legal" in most of Indiana.

National gay rights advocacy group Lambda Legal calls the proposal "far less than this situation requires."

Jennifer Pizer, the group's legal policy director, says lawmakers now need to "complete the fix by actually providing those basic protections that LGBT people need to be equal and safe" in Indiana.

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The Gayly – April 2, 2015 @ 11:35am.