Indiana Senate Marriage Ban Hearing Disrupted

The Indiana senate closed its gallery Monday in response to approximately 40 protesters who disrupted a hearing on the proposal to amend the state constitution to ban marriage equality and civil unions.

According to The Indianapolis Star, "Senate President Pro Tempore David Long, R-Fort Wayne, ordered the roughly 40 audience members expelled from the Senate balcony after they began chanting 'stop hating, stop dividing, stop pandering.'"

Senators on Monday voted down a proposal that would have removed civil unions from the prospective ban. A measure to outlaw marriage equality and civil unions already passed the house and is likely to be voted on by the full senate this week.

A constitutional amendment to ban marriage equality and civil unions in Indiana would also need to be approved by the legislature elected in 2012 before heading to the ballot in 2014.