Organizers of Gen Con have threatened
to leave Indiana if Governor Mike Pence signs a bill that opponents
say would allow businesses to refuse to serve the LGBT community
based on religious beliefs.
The Republican-led General Assembly
gave its final
approval of SB 101 Tuesday and sent it to Pence for his
signature.
Pence has said he's “looking forward”
to signing the measure.
(Related: Indiana
Gov. Mike Pence “looking forward” to signing bill allowing
businesses to refuse gays.)
According to Polygon.com, Gen Con LLC,
the parent company of Gen Con, a successful gaming convention held
annually in Indianapolis, has threatened to take its convention
elsewhere if the bill becomes law.
Passage of the bill “will factor into
our decision-making on hosting the convention in the state of Indiana
in future years,” Gen Con LLC CEO and owner Adrian Swartout said in
a letter to Pence.
“Last year, Gen Con hosted more than
56,000 attendees from more than 40 different countries and all 50
states,” Swartout wrote. “Gen Con proudly welcomes a diverse
attendee base, made up of different ethnicities, cultures, beliefs,
sexual orientations, gender identities, abilities, and socio-economic
backgrounds. We are happy to provide an environment that welcomes
all, and the wide-ranging diversity of our attendees has become a key
element to the success and growth of our convention.”
“Legislation that could allow for
refusal of service or discrimination against our attendees will have
a direct negative impact on the state's economy,” he added.
According to Polygon.com,
the four-day event “creates in excess of $50 million in revenue for
the city of Indianapolis.”