Rock Indiana, a grass-roots organization fighting homosexual discrimination, will host “Indiana’s Witch Hunt” this weekend during the Irvington Halloween Festival in order to publicize Sen. Patricia Miller’s endeavors in the state’s Legislature. The Irvington Halloween Festival, produced by the Irvington Town Council and co-sponsored by Sen. Miller, takes place Oct. 29 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Washington Street between Ritter and Arlington.

Rock Indiana’s “Indiana’s Witch Hunt” includes plans to distribute literature including details on Miller’s legislative actions, which, they insist, represent extremist anti-gay sentiment in Indiana’s Senate. Organizers say the witch hunt theme draws upon Miller’s proactive measures to amend the state Constitution in order to keep Hoosier gays and lesbians from domestic partner benefits, entering into legal unions and having children.

“Our state’s economy is nothing short of a farce and Miller would rather spend taxpayers’ money on a witch hunt — fulfilling her own personal agenda of oppressing gays and lesbians, who, by the way, are taxpayers, too,” says Pepper Partin, founder of Rock Indiana and a constituent in Miller’s district. Partin says that getting the word out to fellow constituents that Miller is an extremist who should not hold public office is the primary goal of attending the Halloween festival and engaging festival-goers.

Miller made local and national headlines recently when she introduced her “Unauthorized Reproduction” legislation that would require marriage as a condition for parenthood in cases of medically assisted reproduction. Sara Slack, an art therapist, teacher and a Miller constituent, heard about the legislation and says the senator has overstepped her bounds.

“Authorized reproduction smacks of big brother and is a violation of every American citizen’s right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This whole concept is a violation of privacy and freedom.” Slack, who plans to attend the Irvington Halloween Festival and vote against Miller in the next election, said, “Senator Miller needs to take her personal issues and beliefs to the pulpit. Issues such as reproduction have no place in politics.”

Partin says that she and Rock Indiana organizers intend to direct Halloween festival attendees to Miller’s booth to discuss the literature the organization will be distributing. “I would think that Senator Miller will be more than happy to look her constituents in the eyes and tell them why she believes that oppressing Hoosier gays and lesbians is not only constitutional but a noble cause for her to champion as a legislator.”

Rock Indiana’s grass-roots endeavors against discrimination include the Rock Indiana! Rally against Eric Miller, Advance America and the Marriage Amendment, Senate Joint Resolution 7, at the Indiana Statehouse last spring. The rally drew more than 1,000 people from across the state.

The organization is also responsible for the statewide $2 Bill Campaign over the summer that brought attention to the economic power of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Hoosiers. For more information about Rock Indiana contact Pepper Partin at pepper.partin@sbcglobal.net

For more information about the Irvington Halloween Festival go to www.irvingtoncouncil.com/halloween/home.htm.