The governor of Indiana has defended a new law that has unleashed a wave of condemnation across the country.
Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Mike Pence said the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) had been "grossly misconstrued" as anti-gay.
"I abhor discrimination," he wrote, rejecting claims the law limited the rights of gays and lesbians.
The measure gives firms and groups the right to express their religious beliefs in the way they do business.
The
governor went on the attack after a number of famous names,
corporations and sporting institutions warned that business owners now
had a licence to discriminate against gays and lesbians.
Signed
into state law last week, the bill prevents the state from forcing
people to provide services they say are contrary to their religion.
Critics
believe it provides a way for opponents of gay marriage, which became
legal in Indiana last year, to continue their opposition by other means.
The backlash has made allies of Hillary Clinton and Miley Cyrus, and Angie's List and Apple.
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