San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee has directed
staffers not to travel to Indiana.
The travel ban is a response to passage
of a bill that critics say will allow businesses to refuse to serve
members of the LGBT community based on religious beliefs.
Governor Mike Pence signed the bill on
Thursday.
(Related: Indiana
Gov. Mike Pence signs bill allowing businesses to refuse to serve
gays.)
“We stand united as San Franciscans
to condemn Indiana’s new discriminatory law, and will work together
to protect the civil rights of all Americans including lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender individuals,” Lee said in a statement.
“Effective immediately, I am
directing City Departments under my authority to bar any
publicly-funded City employee travel to the State of Indiana that is
not absolutely essential to public health and safety. San Francisco
taxpayers will not subsidize legally-sanctioned discrimination
against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people by the State of
Indiana,” he added.