NEW YORK CITY—Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio have ordered state and city government to end all non-essential travel to Indiana because of a recently approved religious freedom law many believe discriminates against the LGBT community.
The Religious Freedom Restoration Act allows companies to invoke religious freedom to deny services for a same-sex wedding, for example.
"It's a deeply disturbing reality right now in Indiana and I hope, before it's too late, they turn back," de Blasio said Monday at an unrelated press conference in Brooklyn.
"With this action, we stand by our LBGT family members, friends and colleagues to ensure that their rights are respected," Cuomo said in a statement.
It was not clear how much travel to Indiana was done by state and city officials.
"Who knows," de Blasio said when asked how much business the city does with Indiana.
The mayor added that the largest connection to the state would likely be Indiana companies that the city does business with or travel to the state by city employees for professional conferences.
"Anything that is not about mission critical work will not happen," said de Blasio.
Republican Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signed the bill into law last week.
Pence has said the law is not meant to discriminate and is now seeking to make changes to the legislation following blowback and economic ramifications.
New York joins Connecticut at least two other cities that have prohibited government-paid travel to Indiana.
Executives from Apple and Walmart have also spoken out against the law. AFSCME, the largest public employee union is moving an October conference from Indianapolis while companies such as Angie's List have canceled plans to expand in the state.
The backlash is similar to what occurred after Arizona passed a series of controversial measures to limit undocumented immigrants.
"Not only were the efforts in Arizona that were obviously discriminatory toward immigrants extraordinarily immoral and un-American but they backfired on the state of Arizona economically," said de Blasio.
"This proposed law in Indiana really undercuts decades and decades of progress on human rights and civil rights in this country. The notion that a government would allow, overtly, discrimination undercuts so much of what we fought for in the effort to be a truly inclusive and fair society," he added.
The governor of Arkansas sent a similar law back to the legislature today for changes following pressure from Walmart, the state's biggest employer.
