INDIANA: Gay Candidate Quits GOP After Marriage Ban House Committee Switch

Yesterday the GOP speaker of the Indiana House made the "highly unusual" move of switching the marriage equality ban bill to a new committee after it appeared to be failing before the House Judiciary Committee. Today Bilerico reports that a local gay House candidate has quit the Republican party in response. Andy Markle writes on his Facebook page:

It deeply saddens me to see the state that I have called home for the past 8 years plunge into a debate over a minority group's civil rights. It is with a heavy heart but with a clear conscience that I announce the end of my run for Indiana State House of Representatives, District 99, as a Republican. With today's announcement by House Speaker Brian Bosma, that he is using extraordinary and unprecedented rules to change House Joint Resolution 3's committee assignment, I have no choice but to resign my candidacy as a Republican. As an openly gay male and a conservative, I find it deplorable that the state would choose to take such extraordinary measures to disenfranchise me and my fellow LGBT brothers and sisters. In an era where my party declared that it was the party of "small government" and "less intrusion", it has been confirmed that it is not the party of small government or less intrusion. I am not leaving the Republican Party; the Republican Party has left me.

Read the full report at Bilerico.