Indiana governor Mike Pence recently signed into law the state's Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), which offers protections for individuals and businesses that refuse service to groups of people based on their religious beliefs. This will most impact the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) community.

We urge The United Methodist Church to join the following Christian denominations in publicly condemning this discriminatory law: 

• The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
• The United Church of Christ (UCC)
• Episcopal Church

The United Methodist Church's Book of Discipline condemns the practice of discrimination against anyone, including LGBTQ members. As a result, the UMC has in the past spoken out publicly on issues ranging from LGBTQ inclusion in the armed services to the expansion of anti-discrimination laws to include sexual orientation and gender identity.