Two weeks after an op-ed by Gov. Bobby Jindal titled “I’m Holding Firm Against Gay Marriage” appeared in The New York Times, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu has penned his own op-ed for the newspaper in which he says Jindal’s comments do not reflect Louisianans’ views.
Referring to the controversial “Louisiana Marriage and Conscience Act,” which Jindal supports, Landrieu says “The people of Louisiana will not go for it; it’s not who we are.”
Landrieu—who recently told a Baton Rouge audience that he is not interested in running for governor this year—notes Louisiana passed the Preservation of Religious Freedom Act in 2010 to prohibit government intrusion into a person’s exercise of religion.
“Governor Jindal’s proposed law goes much further, without the anti-discrimination protections that exist elsewhere,” Landrieu says. “Most Louisianans believe that discrimination in any form should not be tolerated. In fact, New Orleans passed its own law in 1999 to reflect that principle, ensuring that people cannot be discriminated against because of sexual orientation or gender identification.”
Landrieu says “leaders in both parties in Louisiana have vowed not to move the legislation forward without significant modifications,” and he concludes his op-ed by saying: “Ensuring religious freedom is important; so is protecting people from discrimination. Our freedoms and our faith can and must coexist.”
Read Landrieu’s complete op-ed, and read Jindal’s full op-ed from April 23.
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