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Former Angie's List CEO Launching LGBT Advocacy Organization

Gretchen Frazee
/
WFIU

Former Angie’s List CEO Bill Oesterle is launching an advocacy organization to push for a statewide LGBT civil rights law next year. Oesterle was one of the most high-profile critics of Governor Mike Pence and Republican lawmakers when they passed the religious freedom bill known as RFRA.

Oesterle left his post atop Angie’s List earlier this year to refocus on civic engagement – and reemerged with the launch of Tech for Equality.  He says the group will bring the voices of Indiana’s tech community to the legislature to advocate for LGBT civil rights.

“This last year there was sort of just outright public revolt over some of the actions and that just has an influence – it’s an evolution of everyone’s thinking about these issues," he says. "And that evolution continues and it’s clear that members of the legislature are paying attention to that.”

Oesterle says the tech community can bring a different perspective to the LGBT rights issue:

“The tech community is totally dependent on talent to thrive – we have to grow it, we have to retain it and we have to attract it," he says.

Oesterle says Tech for Equality will supplement the efforts of Freedom Indiana, the group that’s been advocating for the LGBT community the last two years.  

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.
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