State Rep. Dave Wolkins (R-Winona Lake) said this morning that a video that seems to show him poking fun at American actor and singer Jim Nabors was taken out of context. Wolkins said that when he mentioned Nabors, an openly gay man, during a meeting with supporters down at the statehouse a day or two after Governor Mike Pence’s State of the State address, no disrespect was intended. “I did not make fun of Jim Nabors,” Wolkins insisted, but was questioning why Pence referenced the song “Back Home Again in Indiana” in his State of the State address Jan. 12 while he was talking about LGBT issues. Wolkins said he and many others wondered what Pence’s purpose was in referencing that song and was it an attempt to reach out to Indiana’s LGBT community. “Not one person in that group at the statehouse took it as a shot to the gay community. I would take it more as a shot at Pence. I don’t know if it was a brilliant move on Pence’s part or if that was intended or not,” Wolkins said, noting he hasn’t talked to Pence about it. During the meeting after the State of the State, the group was asking Wolkins a myriad of questions, especially about LGBT issues, and Pence’s reference to that song was discussed. Nabors is known for singing “Back Home Again in Indiana” prior to the start of the Indianapolis 500. Nabors sang the unofficial Indiana anthem every year from 1972 to 2014. Nabors married his partner of 38 years, Stan Cadwallader, Jan. 15, 2013, after same-sex marriage became legal in Washington. The video and story can be found on indianatalks.com. The video is barely audible, but according to author Charlie White, Wolkins, who is sitting beside State Rep. Curt Nisly, says, “I suppose … its ironic that … when ... Governor Pence … up there ended up with ‘Back Home in Indiana’ ... was sung by Jim Nabors.” After a little laughter, Wolkins seems to ask, “Make that connection?” to which a female voice says, “Yes.” White wrote, “I suppose the question that needs to be asked is why David Wolkins felt the urge to make this point about the private life of a man who sang ‘Bank Home Again in Indiana’ in front of a group of constituents who were presumably there to get an update from him about his ‘work’ in the Indiana General Assembly. Judging by his words and the look on Wolkins’ face that he was hoping to get a reaction from others by expressing them tells me he has much to learn about statesmanship.” Later in the piece, White writes, “You be the judge if Wolkins is concerned wholly about religious rights or if there is a part of him that has a disdain for those whose sexual orientation is presumably different than his. Wolkins’ House District 18 consists of all of Wabash County and portions of Kosciusko, Miami and Grant counties in north central Indiana. One has to wonder if the leadership of the Indiana Republican House Caucus enjoys or even cares about members of their team expressing themselves like this at gatherings.” This morning Wolkins said his comments were “more of a question than anything” and he was not disparaging Nabors. “He does a beautiful job of the song every time he sings it,” Wolkins said of Nabors. Wolkins said the post by White isn’t the first time that White has gone after him. White is the former Republican Indiana Secretary of State who was removed from office in 2012 after a jury convicted him on six felony counts including perjury, theft and voter fraud. Wolkins said he heard about the video yesterday down at the statehouse, but said he couldn’t believe the video was being turned into anything negative. A “number” of people made the connection between the song and Nabors being gay and questioned Pence’s intention, Wolkins stated. Wolkins said he has many gay friends, and while he doesn’t condone their “lifestyle,” he said he also doesn’t condemn them in any shape, way or form. On June 25, 2014, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana ruled in favor of same-sex marriage in Indiana. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit granted an emergency stay of the District Court’s ruling on June 27, after hundreds of couples in the state were married. On Oct. 6, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to consider an appeal from the state on the issue, and same-sex marriage has been legally recognized in Indiana since then. On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court made marriage for all same-sex couples legal nationwide. Last year, Indiana passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which then was amended after national outcry that the law targeted against LGBT people and other groups. The state legislature is now considering a bill that would protect LGB – but not T, transgender – Hoosiers from discrimination. In his State of the State, according to Indystar.com, Pence sided with shielding religious rights in the contentious statewide debate over whether to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Hoosiers from discrimination. “I will not support any bill that diminishes the religious freedom of Hoosiers or that interferes with the constitutional rights of our citizens to live out their beliefs in worship, service or work,” Pence said. He also asserted that Indiana is already “an open and welcoming state that respects everyone” and said he believes “that no one should be harassed or mistreated because of who they are, who they love, or what they believe.”
