March 27, 2015An Open Letter to the Marching Arts Community:On Thursday, March 26th the Governor of Indiana signed into law SB101. There has been great controversy regarding this legislation as it essentially provides a potential path to legally discriminate under the guise of religious freedom. While the practical application of said law is yet to be seen, the notion of legalized discrimination being offered to defined classes of citizens is a troubling precedence.This matters to us because the Madison Scouts organization finds itself frequently rehearsing, performing, and competing in the State of Indiana.To date, we have found Indiana to be welcoming and extremely supportive of the marching arts. Over the years we have developed long-term relationships with sports facilities, high schools, colleges, food vendors, leadership camps, hotels, restaurants, and much more. Our experiences have been extremely positive and supportive and we hope those relationships remain unchanged.The Madison Scouts have been a racially integrated organization since 1938. We also have had and continue to have members, staff, and board members who identify themselves as gay. We maintain an internal culture of brotherhood that is built on the principles of acceptance and tolerance. Our mission is to influence the young men we serve in a way that enables them to enter adulthood armed with the life skills, values, and beliefs that will make them better men for themselves and our society. An atmosphere that condones intolerance is not aligned with our organizational values and principles.We have little to no financial influence or visibility to the State of Indiana, but we do have significant visibility to our membership, staff, alumni, fans, and family. We sincerely hope that the great people of the State of Indiana continue to be as welcoming to our organization and our activity as they always have been. We also hope that they continue to make their voices heard and take the necessary steps to assure that state-sanctioned discrimination does not become the normal order of business.The marching arts community is an incredibly diverse population with a shared vision of performance excellence. We want to continue to perform throughout the United States and the World without the threat or fear of discrimination. Our community is an example of how an inclusive activity can produce incredible results, not just creatively, but in the principles and beliefs that our participants take into their own worlds.Sincerely,Christopher KomnickExecutive DirectorDann PetersenDirectorGregg AubyBoard PresidentDOWNLOAD A PDF OF THIS LETTER >>