Let me clarify that

A few days ago I wrote about the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, um, license to discriminate act or even better the Persecution Protection Act recently signed by Gov. Pence in Indiana. In it I praised the stiff backbones of those, such as the gaming convention Gen Com, beginning a boycott of Indiana.

Melissa McEwan of Shakesville strongly disagrees. I pay attention to her opinion because she lives in Indiana, not far from the Indiana Dunes and Lake Michigan. She is also a fiery feminist who has taught me a few things (when a woman says a guy is "creepy" believe her – and listen to what she wants to have done in the situation).

McEwan says a general boycott of Indiana is all wrong. It hurts the poor and the gay people, the most vulnerable. Their lives are already quite precarious. Do not ask her to move – Indiana is her home. Moving just means overturning a nasty law and demanding rights is impossible. If you want to do something, make a donation to an organization that will work to overturn the bill. Besides, how willing are you to boycott Indiana products? Boycott all corn and soybeans? Good luck with that (though I'm managing that fairly well, but not because they're from Indiana).

IndyFeminists has summarized how to be proactive. Look for businesses that display "Open for Service" stickers and patronize them. Check the list of businesses to avoid, such as Mister Ice, owned by Scott Schneider, the legislator who co-authored the nasty bill. Check the list of gay and human rights organizations that will work to repeal the law and make a donation.

There were lots of protests outside the state Capitol this week. That and the threat of boycott prompted the Indy Star to say the new law created for the governor "the worst crisis of his political career." The heat is strong enough the Pence is now saying he will work to "clarify" the law so there isn't any actual discrimination.

The general response is good luck with that. In addition to general disbelief that "clarification" without repeal is possible the big gay groups – Human Rights Campaign, Lamda Legal, and Freedom Indiana – are saying his comments are a lot of bull. Want to show there is no intent to discriminate? Repeal this law and add all sexual minorities to the state civil rights laws. Pence responded to the second part by saying, "That's not on my agenda." Well then.

Will Pence try to say the bill has no intention of permitting discrimination? Let's turn our eyes to the Georgia legislature. In that state a similar Religious Freedom Act was debated in the House Judiciary Committee. Rep. Mike Jacobs (R) called out his colleagues. You say this bill doesn't discriminate. Let's make that clear. So he pushed through an amendment that would explicitly prevent "discrimination on any ground prohibited by federal, state, or local law." Suddenly his colleagues lost interest. A motion to table the amended bill was passed.