Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few weeks you’ve heard the nation coming together in defiance of Indiana’s controversial anti-gay law known as the “religious freedom” law. Companies all across the nation are already boycotting business involving the state of Indiana, from Angie’s List canceling plans to build a new $40M headquarters in Indiana to companies like Salesforce stopping any employees from traveling to Indiana to conduct business, Indiana’s been in the crapper for weeks (months?).
In what might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back the most famous person in Indiana, Nick Offerman, famous for playing Ron Swanson on NBC’s ‘Parks And Recreation’, has announced the he’s canceling his comedy tour stop in Indiana. Which on the service might not actually seem like a huge deal, it might look like just some comedian avoiding a forgettable state, but in reality it’s Mr. Indiana very publicly taking a dump on the Governor of Indiana’s chest with this tweet:
Congrats @GovPenceIN
WE ARE CANCELING
Indiana Summer of 69 tour 5/16.
I WILL PLAY @IndianaUniv this Weds and donate my $ to HRC.#Usuck— Nick Offerman (@Nick_Offerman) March 31, 2015
TalkingPointsMemo was first to the story:
Offerman said on Twitter that he and his wife, Megan Mullally, no longer planned to stop in Indianapolis in May for their “Summer of 69” comedy tour. He added that a stand-up show he was scheduled to perform Wednesday at Indiana University would go on, although he planned to donate the proceeds to the Human Rights Campaign.
The state has dealt with backlash from various businesses and entertainment acts since Gov. Mike Pence (R) signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act into law last Thursday. The alternative rock band Wilco also announced Monday that it decided to cancel an upcoming show in Indiana over the new law, which the band believed to be “thinly disguised legal discrimination.”
There’s no telling of whether or not this show of defiance from Ron Swanson will force the Governor to change the ‘religious freedom’ bill so that it explicitly states no discrimination towards the LGBT community could take place. But, by speaking out and boycotting the state of Indiana Nick Offerman has certainly raised the level of chatter Indiana’s Governor is getting hit with.
In other news, the controversial anti-gay bill passed by Indiana’s Governor has paved the way for the state’s ‘First Church of Cannabis‘ to exist. Effectively allowing any citizens from Indiana claiming to smoke weed as part of their religion.