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POLICY STATEMENT
INDIANA FAMILY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY COMMITTEE
Throughout its 16 year history, the Indiana Family Institute has sought to bring Biblical values and Biblical ethics to the public policy
making process in Indiana. To this end, we have opposed all efforts to create or advance special civil or legal rights for homosexuals.
During Governor Daniels’ campaign and then in the first months of his Administration, we made our opposition to his desire to have an
explicit, non-discrimination policy for one group of citizens – homosexuals – quite clear.
Recently, a policy statement on a state website became the subject of much debate after it was highlighted by one of our fellow pro-family ministries.
The Institute sought to meet with the Governor, after a copy of this policy was obtained, to, first, verify that this was his policy pronouncement,
and then, secondly, to understand what the single sentence within the statement regarding homosexuals means in his mind, since it is neither
law nor an executive order (it is entirely the Governor's policy regarding state employees, who ultimately report to him as public servants
employed by Indiana). That meeting occurred on Monday June 21, 2005, and the Governor outlined his policy and IFI shared its position from
a legal, personnel/employment policy, values and Biblical perspective.
Our President, Curt Smith, who represented IFI in this private 45-minute meeting, twice asked the Governor to rescind his policy on gays during
this frank and productive exchange. As he made this range of arguments, and as he discussed the matter with the Governor, the Governor continued
to express an open mind even though he gave no indication that he was preparing to modify his position. It was our contention then, as it is now,
that the Governor's goal (non-discrimination) has been long fulfilled by past practices and his statements on the subject.
IFI believes if Indiana truly wants a non-discrimination policy that moves the State toward a merit workforce, it is therefore inappropriate
to single out one group (homosexual state employees) as if to say, "And we really mean it about gays!" We are either a merit employment state
for all workers, or we are not. Our belief and our contention with the Governor is that if he wants a merit shop there is no need to single
out one group as he has with this policy statement.
Throughout this whole matter, as stated above, the Institute has sought to bring Biblical values and Biblical truth to the public policy making process
as well as to model the ethic of our Lord Jesus Christ. We hope and trust that we have done that with this difficult and often emotional issue.
The Hon. James R. Butcher, Chair, Public Policy Committee
Walter Brown, Chairman, Board of Directors
Curt Smith, President, Indiana Family Institute.
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