INDIANAPOLIS  — “No money!” yelled a man in the passing car, his words trailing in the blustering wind of downtown Indianapolis.

People in Indiana are helpful.

Laura, Meg and I had been trying to feed the meter. I guess you don’t have to do that on Saturday mornings.

But that’s not the only help we got this afternoon when it came to understanding Indiana.
We were on our way to the Abbey Coffee House, where we heard that Obama volunteers would be hanging out.

As it turned out, they had already moved on, but we did have a chance to speak with the Abbey’s owners, Mark Stiker and Moises Molina, a gay couple with two kids. They’ve been together for about 20 years now, and live in Indianapolis. True to their Midwest nature, they helped us understand how the gay community is feeling about Tuesday’s primary.

They’re for Hillary, because they said she’s for gay rights, more so than Obama, whose own record is not as strong.

“I think he’s trying to keep the conservative vote” by not being openly pro-gay, Mark said. In contrast, “gay people think Hillary will stand up for us.”

They said that the gay community is largely backing Clinton this primary season because of her stance in support of gays in general, particularly on issues such as civil unions. She’s also made no secret of this support, they said. Clinton’s made public statements declaring her support for gays, and has marched in gay pride parades. 

“If we go with Clinton, it’s taking a baby step,” added Moises.

Obama’s much more of an unknown factor, they said, as he’s not seen as supportive of the gay community. But both Mark and Moises appreciate the way Obama’s been running his campaign, and will support him if he gets the nomination.

“I think we’re changing … no one thought we’d see a black candidate [for president]” Mark said.

As for Clinton, “I pray that she keeps her promises.”