Connecticut's governor is blasting the governor of Indiana for signing the state's controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act, calling it discriminatory against the gay community and asking for its repeal.
The Indiana measure, which Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) signed last week, prohibits state laws that "substantially burden" a person's ability to follow his or her religious beliefs. The definition of "person" includes religious institutions, businesses and associations.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Tuesday that the law is covering "outright bigotry" in Indiana.
"The reality is, the governor is not a stupid man, but he’s done stupid things. And signing this law and, quite frankly, promoting this law, knowing exactly what it was going to do, was an incredibly stupid thing for him to do," Malloy told MSNBC. "But even there, if you get the picture from who was around him when he signed this bill, there were three homophobic men standing alongside the governor. One of them who equated being gay with bestiality. That’s who he invited to the signing ceremony. He knew exactly what he was doing, and when you see a bigot you have to call him on it."
"When it walks like a duck, and it quacks like a duck, it is a duck. And they knew what they were doing. What they were doing was making it legal for people who were deciding they weren’t going to serve gay men and women," he added.
Socially conservative groups accused Malloy of not understanding that Connecticut also has a freedom of religion statute, similar to what was enacted in Indiana. But Malloy stressed that Connecticut law does not allow religion to be a basis for discrimination.
When pressed on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Tuesday about other states like Connecticut with similar laws based off a 1993 federal law, Malloy countered that they are very different. Connecticut has "outlawed" discrimination based on someone's sexual orientation since 1991 despite the 1993 law and the state also frowns upon any discrimination against individuals in the transgender community, Malloy told MSNBC.
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"The law that you would reference in Connecticut was passed in 1993. It does not give an individual a right. It does not say to a company that you can discriminate, that you can refuse to serve someone, that you can refuse to allow them into your business," Malloy told MSNBC. "This law in Indiana was promoted to do just that."
As the Final Four approaches in the NCAA basketball tournament, Malloy is also calling for the NCAA, headquartered in Indianapolis, to move out unless the legislation is changed. He also said Indiana is a base for many fraternities in the country and urged those organizations to move out of state if the law remains, he told MSNBC.
He further added that Indiana has an Army base.
“A member of the army could be gay, and they go into a coffee shop under this law and someone says because you’re gay, even though you’re wearing the uniform of the United States, I am not going to serve you," Malloy told MSNBC. "That was the intent of the law, they knew what they were doing, and someone has to call them on it.”
Pence on during a news conference on Tuesday that the bill he signed into law week has been "grossly mischaracterized" and subjected to "shoddy reporting," but said he and legislators have been working around the clock to draft new legislation to clarify its intent.
“If Indiana wants to make this right with the rest of the world, they need to pass laws in that state that say you cannot discriminate based on someone’s sexual orientation," Malloy told MSNBC.
