Ind. Rep David Wolkins Mocks Actor Jim Nabors for Being Gay

Indiana State Representative David Wolkins (R- Winona Lake) displayed his brand of “Hoosier Hospitality” as he snickered about actor Jim Nabors, who is a homosexual, at a small political gathering recently.  The video is hard to hear, but I believe in the pertinent portion of the video the following is said by David Wolkins:

Wolkins: “I suppose…its ironic that…um…when..um…Governor Pence…up there ended up with ‘Back Home in…Indiana’..was sung by Jim Nabors..”

(Laughter)

Wolkins: “Make that connection?”

Female Voice: “Yes”

(Laughter)

I believe that the woman who is laughing at Wolkins’ remark in the foreground was also pictured in the odd private signing ceremony of the first RFRA before Pence flipped, signed another version RFRA, and jumped on a plane to Europe to flee Indiana as visitors poured into Indianapolis for the NCAA Final Four in the spring of 2015.  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.

Aside from his acting career, Jim Nabors sung “Back Home Again in Indiana” for years before the start of the Indianapolis 500.  It is sad that our alleged “leaders” in “honest to goodness” #BackwardIN treat fixtures of an event like the Indy 500 like this.  I suppose anyone who performs at Indy 500 festivities or at Pacers or Colts’ games would need to be pre-screened to meet David Wolkins’ “standards”.

One of the very few areas Representative David Wolkins has truly “led” was being listing as receiving nearly the most gifts by lobbyists in the Indianapolis Star (i.e. “Legislators Feast on Perks”, Indy Star, November 15, 2009; “Citizens Left Out in the Cold”, Indy Star, November 15, 2009)….which in turn led me to bestow on him the hashtag of #SweetTooth 🙂  It is odd that “Sweet Tooth” Wolkins would sit on the House Committee for Government and Regulatory Reform, which appears as if the rabbit is guarding the lettuce.  Remember, David Wolkins’ membership on committees for Government Reform, Environment and/or Natural Resources is only because Indiana Speaker of the House Brian Bosma allows for it.

It takes no imagination for David Wolkins to employ the same old tired attacks against me that would not be possible if the state had not “suspended” all the mandatory statutes that he voted on himself, but the fact remains he needs to stay on point on this issue.  Judging by the amount of gifts he has received because of his public position, many of us could not live long enough to acquire a taste for the “sweet life” like Wolkins has.  I acquired a lot of powerful enemies who wanted the “good times” to continue by publicly and privately speaking out against excessive “gratuities” since 2005, one of which called me at the ‘moment of truth’ to inform me it was “payback time”. Despite Wolkins’ feigned outrage of me, you will not hear him talk about Governor Mike Pence living in luxury in a $450,000 house down the street from me in Fishers in 2012 provided by a member of the Indiana’s Builders Council for his “family’s convenience” as he voted and claimed a homestead in Columbus.  Perhaps Wolkins’ appetite for gifts is simply a result of seeing what many around him do at the statehouse while Hoosiers have real problems whose solutions are “tabled” or go to “summer study” because people are playing games with out civil liberties and our taxpayers’ dollars.

You be the judge if Wolkins is concerned wholly about religious rights and was taken out of context 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 House Speaker Brian Bosma enjoys or even cares about members of his caucus expressing themselves like this at gatherings and if this behavior advances his team’s agenda or hinders it.

Despite all of David Wolkins’ excuses and deflections to explain this away, ask yourself honestly if it were really necessary in the context of speaking about the Indiana economy if this absurd point about Jim Nabors really needed to be made.

If you wish to give your opinion, please contact Wolkins’ assistant, Emily Gaylor at 317-232-9824 or email his office at emily.gaylord@iga.in.gov.