Supporters demonstrated on Indiana University Bloomington's campus in 2023 and 2024, wanting to keep the Kinsey Institute part of the university. (FILE: WTIU News)
Amid calls to defund Indiana University over the Kinsey Institute, local lawmakers are defending the university and the 77-year-old institute on human sexuality.
After lawmakers prohibited any state funding for the Kinsey Institute, some are questioning IU’s compliance and want to defund the entire university.
IU has maintained that Kinsey doesn’t receive any state funding, and Sen. Shelli Yoder and Rep. Matt Pierce agree.
Yoder, who represents Bloomington and the IU campus, said the university has an important role for all Hoosiers.
“To play around with it in such a way that is using it as an opportunity to score political points, — which is what it comes across like — is not in the best interest of our state,” Yoder said. “It, I hope, will wake up Hoosiers across the state and take a stand and say, ‘Enough is enough.’”
The Kinsey Institute was founded by Alfred Kinsey. The institute has focused on controversial topics in human sexuality, gender, reproduction and sexual health. It has brought in acclaim for groundbreaking work.
In 2023, Republican lawmaker Lorissa Sweet of Wabash led the effort to cut all state funding from the Kinsey Institute, spreading unfounded claims about child abuse. Sweet didn’t respond to requests for comment.
State Comptroller Elise Nieshalla said Indiana’s law pertaining to Kinsey is exhaustive, and that IU must separate from the institute.
Sweet, Nieshalla and other critics will gather Wednesday in Indianapolis to rally for defunding the university because of what they see as IU failing to follow the law.
No bill or amendment has been proposed to cut funding for IU.
“I will stand with the university and defend the university,” Yoder said. “Not only to say they are complying with the law, but also to say, we need to make sure that we have some respect and protection for academic freedom, for higher education.”
The Kinsey Institute is located on the Bloomington campus in Lindley Hall. IU said the institute pays the university for the space using funds donated to the IU Foundation.
Pierce said the Kinsey Institute never had a direct appropriation from the state, and that IU has always followed the law.
“I think they thought somehow the Kinsey Institute would collapse if they took away all this tax money,” Pierce said. “But in fact, it doesn't get that much tax money. And so now they're trying to come at it again.”
Pierce said Indiana needs IU and other universities to attract, educate and develop its workforce.
“The idea that you would undermine the institutions that hold the key to your economic future doesn't make sense,” he said.
Pierce said efforts to cut IU’s funding are led by the most extreme members of the General Assembly, and other members of the Republican majority “don’t have the courage to push back” against culture warriors.
“I think that you have, really, a minority of people in the state who happen to be in positions of power who want to impose their own religious and moral values on everyone else,” Pierce said.
With speeches, petitions and demonstrations around campus, protesters want to keep the institute intact. Russ Skiba, professor emeritus and member of the University Alliance for Racial Justice, was one of them. He said lawmakers’ threats to defund IU are “vindictive.”
Aubrey is our higher education reporter and a Report For America corps member. Contact her at aubmwrig@iu.edu or follow her on X @aubreymwright.
