California has banned state-funded trips to Indiana because of a recently passed law banning transgender girls from participating in girls’ school sports.
Gov. Eric Holcomb vetoed the controversial House Bill 1041, but in May lawmakers voted to override it and the law went into effect on July 1. Aside from the ongoing lawsuit, California’s decision is the first reaction to the new law.
It’s unclear exactly how many Californians will be barred from traveling here. California passed a law banning certain travel to states that have laws that discriminate based on gender identity. California’s ban applies generally to state agencies, departments, boards, authorities and commissions, and includes those of the University of California and California State University.
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College sports teams are not likely to be affected by the law, as long as the sports teams use non-state money for travel.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta added Indiana to a list of 20 states that banned such travel when House Bill 1041 went into effect on July 1.
Bonta said that the country is “committed to combating discrimination in all its forms”.
“Make no mistake: There is a coordinated, sustained attack on transgender rights happening across the country right now,” Bonta said in a statement. “Blank legislation targeting transgender children is a ‘solution’ in search of a problem. It’s detached from reality and directly undermines the well-being of our LGBTQ+ community.”
Holcomb’s office declined to comment on travel restrictions to California. House Speaker Todd Huston and Senate Deputy Speaker Rodric Bray did not respond to a request for comment.
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita shared Bonta’s statement on Twitter Wednesday, saying “While we will miss the liberal California public servants visiting the Hoosier State this summer, we choose protection for our K-12 girls every day.”
Although the new law is already in place, it is being challenged in the courts.
RFRA generated greater backlash
After lawmakers passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in 2015, multiple states and cities enacted government-funded travel bans to Indiana. Read also : ECU Sports Properties, Inner Banks Media Extend Major Radio Deal to 2027 – East Carolina University Athletics. So far, California is the only state to do so regarding a transgender sports ban.
RFRA, which LGBTQ rights activists said would be used to discriminate against them, sparked a much bigger backlash, including multiple conventions threatening to withdraw their commitments to Indiana before lawmakers backed down and watered down the law.
Chris Gahl, senior vice president of marketing and communications at Visit Indy, said the organization has not heard of any existing conventions, meetings or trade shows that have raised concerns about any recently passed legislation, including House Bill 1041.
“Anytime there’s a perceived or real barrier to getting tourism going, we’re going to take notice,” Gahl said. “We’ve experienced and been through bans before as a tourism industry, and we plan to closely monitor how the recent news out of California may or will affect tourism in Indianapolis.”
Litigation moving forward
Just minutes after the General Assembly overrode Holcomb’s veto of a ban on transgender sports, the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed a lawsuit against the Indianapolis Public School District on behalf of a 10-year-old transgender girl who will no longer be able to play softball on her school’s girls’ softball team. schools.
Call IndyStar reporter Kaitlin Lange at 317-432-9270 or email her at kaitlin. To see also : The new transgender swimming policy could have an impact on other sports.lange@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @kaitlin_lange.
