“The people of Louisiana deserve to be able to earn a living without fear of unfair and unjust discrimination,” said Sarah Warbelow, HRC Legal Director. “While the governors of North Carolina and Mississippi have signed into law discriminatory measures targeting LGBT people in the workplace, Governor Edwards is standing up and sending a different message -- one that tells his fellow Southern governors that Louisiana will not turn its back on its motto of union and fairness. However, this cannot be the last action by Louisiana to ensure equality for all. This executive order still allows for religiously-based state contractors to discriminate against LGBT employees while accepting taxpayer funds. We call on the state’s elected officials to pass a law  protecting all LGBT Louisianans from discrimination in the all workplaces and beyond.”

“Today is a historic moment as Governor Edwards signs an executive order protecting state employees and contractors from discrimination and harassment no matter who they are or who they love. And in going a step further, he repealed Gov. Jindal’s desperate and dangerous Marriage and Conscience executive order,” said SarahJane Brady, Forum for Equality Executive Director. “This shows our nation that the State of Louisiana is an open, inclusive and competitive force in today’s economy. This is putting Louisiana first.”
 

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. HRC envisions a world where LGBT people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

Forum for Equality is Louisiana’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) human rights organization dedicated to the establishment of a society free from discrimination and to the support of good government. We believe that the fastest and most efficient way to achieve our goals is through community organization, education, and constructive participation in the political process.

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