Raise Up hosting Freedom Indiana community meeting in Jasper

ByNews Release Reading Time: 2 minutes

12-19-JasperOn Thursday, December 19th at 6:00 p.m., Raise Up will be hosting a community meeting through Freedom Indiana to discuss efforts to combat HJR-6 and support same-sex marriage and benefits throughout Indiana. 

The meeting will be held at VUJC in the JCCB Lecture Hall. If you would like to attend, please click here to RSVP.

The amendment, House Joint Resolution 6, states (HJR 6), “Only a marriage between one (1) man and one (1) woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Indiana” and “A legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized.”

Raise Up, Jasper’s LGBTQ awareness program, has been active for the past two years by providing the Jasper area with events and resources surrounding LGBTQ issues. Their programs include a monthly film screening and discussion at VUJC and an online book club and podcast. Now, Raise Up wants to join the fight against HJR-6, the proposed amendment to the Indiana Constitution that could ban same-sex marriage as well as remove existing protections for unmarried Hoosiers. The directors of Raise Up are Jasper natives, Tommy Craven and Sarah Barry, and Washington native, Nick Marsh.

In November, a similar meeting was held in Ferdinand to answer questions about the effects of HJR-6 if passed and how citizens can become involved in the defeat of the bill. Raise Up wants to provide this opportunity to Jasper residents since Jasper falls within a different legislative district than Ferdinand. The agenda for the meeting includes an update from Freedom Indiana and a distribution of resources to assist in writing letters to legislators and campaigning against the bill.  Food and drinks will also be provided.

To learn more about Freedom Indiana, please visit http://www.freedomindiana.org, and for more information on Raise Up, please visit www.raiseuplgbt.com. Any questions about the meeting or general inquires can be addressed to raiseuplgbt@gmail.com or 812-630-7072.

Share

5 Comments

  1. So… will they talk about how to call those who disagree them racists and bigots like they did in the previous meeting? It was interesting how the Herald failed to report the details of what was said. I got an interesting first person account of what was actually said, and it wasn’t the warm and fuzzy the Herald made it out to be. So, is Raise Up more about shout down? I am all for an open debate. Congress should vote yes so the people, Hoosiers get to decide… not interest groups or politicians.

    1. Read the first sentence of the article. These are meetings of like minded folks trying to reach a goal. Not a town hall meeting. Not a debate.

      I was at the last meeting and the worst thing that happened was asking a person to leave that was being counter productive. A few stories that were told might have had the tone you describe but I am struggling to recall any. I am sure there was comparison to interracial marriage and how it was once illegal.

      My recollection is the overall meeting was about trying to be accepted and how to defeat HJR-6.

      Regardless, I think it is more than a bit funny that the same guy that compared “silent Christians” to Pontius Pilate, in a previous LttE, is upset with the vitriol of another group.

    2. Adrian, as an organizer of this event, I can assure you that there will be room to ask questions about HJR-6 and the movement to ensure it is not passed, but please don’t confuse this event with an open debate. Both the organizers and the desired attendees are those who look to stop HJR-6, but we will be open to answering questions about the bill itself and why we believe fighting against. Questions directed toward the group about the morals of homosexuality and beyond with not be discussed because it is not proactive to the meeting which is to give supporters the necessary resources.

  2. It is very interesting how so many that want to talk about love one another will fight against two people wanting to have it recognized the same as everyone else.

Comments are closed.