The Indiana State Senate public gallery had to be closed yesterday after gay protesters tried to disrupt the proceedings:

The Senate president closed the Senate gallery [yesterday] afternoon after the audience interrupted debate on a constitutional gay marriage ban by yelling, “stop hating, stop dividing, stop pandering.”

Senators were starting to discuss amendments to a resolution that would add a ban on gay marriage to the state’s constitution when one man in the balcony began shouting and others joined him. Senate President Pro Tem David Long then ordered the balcony seating closed. As they filed out, the roughly 40 audience members yelled “jobs not hate” — a statement on what they think the Senate’s priorities should be.

As we reported, the bill went on to survive attempts to amend (defeat) it.