Indiana Religious Freedom Law Isn't Anti-Gay, Pence Insists

Amid widespread criticism following his signing of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence insisted that the new state law is not anti-gay.

"This is about protecting religious liberty of people of faith, families of faith," Pence told ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" on Sunday.

On the program, Pence, a Republican, several times side-stepped a question by Stephanopoulos on whether the law would allow businessmen in Indiana to discriminate against gays and lesbians.

Stephanopoulus cited comments made by Advance America head Mike Miller, who was with Pence when he signed the bill.

On the Advance America website, Miller wrote that the Indiana law "will help protect individuals, Christian businesses and churches from those supporting homosexual marriages and those supporting government recognition and approval of gender identity (male cross-dressers)."

"Christian bakers, florists and photographers should not be punished for refusing to participate in a homosexual marriage," Miller said in citing an example of the law's applications.

Pence said the purpose of the law "is to empower individuals when they believe that actions of government impinge on their constitutional First Amendment freedom of religion."

"This is not about discrimination," he said, adding that he's working to clarify the law with business leaders.

When asked if he is willing to add sexual orientation as a protected class in Indiana's civil rights laws, Pence declined to answer.

"I wil not push for that. That's not on my agenda and that's not been an objective of the people of the State of Indiana," he said.

The Indiana governor has been receiving severe criticism for signing the law, with a number of businesses and well-known personalities condemning it.

Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted that "we are deeply disappointed in Indiana's new law and calling on Arkansas Gov. to veto the similar #HB1228."

NBA superstar Charles Barkley said the Final Four and Super Bowl should not be held in Indiana. "Discrimination in any form is unacceptable to me," said Barkley, according to USA Today. "As long as anti-gay legislation exists in any state, I strongly believe big events such as the Final Four and Super Bowl should not be held in those states' cities."

Pro-gay rights group Lambda Legal criticized Pence's comments on the program. "Governor Pence, yet again, claims he opposes discrimination, while continuing to defend this discriminatory law and deceiving the public about what it does," said Jennifer Pizer, national director of Lambda Legal's Law and Policy Project.

She said if Pence insists that the law is not discriminatory, she suggested that a new clause should be added in the law to say, "This chapter does not establish or eliminate a defense to a claim under any federal, state or local law protecting civil rights or preventing discrimination."

Stephanopoulos asked Pence about this. The governor replied: "We're not gonna change the law."