What a difference an election makes! Louisiana's governor-elect, Democrat John Bel Edwards, will reportedly be issuing nondiscrimination protections for the state's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender workers, reports Julia O’Donoghue.
Edwards' directive would cover state workers and government contractors in agencies and departments he oversees. But executive orders don't necessarily bind parts of state government outside the governor's control, such as the judiciary.
The Edwards' transition team did not provide a timeline for when the order might be issued, but the Democrat will be sworn into office Jan. 11. The governor-elect told NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune directly a few weeks ago that he planned to sign such a document after he takes office. Two LGBT advocacy groups said Edwards has made similar commitments to them as well.
New Orleans and Shreveport are currently the only jurisdictions that provide protections to LGBT workers. State law currently does not prohibit firings based on bias against an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity. However, it's worth noting that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is now routinely being interpreted as providing federal protections against gender bias toward transgender individuals nationwide.
Louisiana's two most recent Democratic governors -- Edwin Edwards and Kathleen Blanco -- signed similar directives to prohibit discrimination when they were in office.
Governors Mike Foster and Bobby Jindal, both Republicans, declined to offer those protections. Jindal called Blanco's executive order to protect LGBT state workers and contractors "unnecessary" when he took office in 2007.
Good riddance, Jindal. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.
