Jindal to let gay bias order die

• By MARK BALLARD
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Aug 21, 2008 - Page: 1A - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Calling the executive order unnecessary, Gov. Bobby Jindal said Wednesday he would not reissue a ban on discriminating against gays and lesbians in the workplace.

“We are not going to renew it and that shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody,” Jindal said about the executive order signed by then-Gov. Kathleen Blanco in December 2004. The order, which some church groups and Jindal have criticized over the years, is set to expire Friday.

“The reason for allowing the order to lapse is that I don’t think it is necessary to create additional special categories or special rights,” Jindal said. State and federal law already prohibits discrimination, he said.

“We are firmly and strongly committed to fair treatment of all of our people and certainly don’t condone discrimination in any form,” Jindal said in an interview Wednesday.

Blanco’s order also caused concern about the ability of religious groups to work with state government, he said.

Jindal’s decision means “it is perfectly legal to fire anyone based on their sexual orientation even if they are a perfect employee,” said Randy Evans, a New Orleans lawyer who is co-political director of Forum for Equality, a New Orleans-based political action committee for the lesbian and gay community in Louisiana.

The executive order provided predictability and safety for gay and lesbian employees, he said.

“If you can imagine sitting at your desk always wondering if you’re going to be fired in the next moment simply because your boss finds out that you’re gay or lesbian. That’s a pretty powerful force in one’s life,” said Evans.

Joe Traigle said in a prepared statement: “Jindal, for the sake of economic development in Louisiana, should reissue the non-discrimination executive order so that the sign below Louisiana can again read ‘everyone welcome.’”

A Baton Rouge businessman and former state Revenue Department secretary, Traigle is a longtime activist for gay causes. He points to data gathered by the Human Rights Campaign that show 25 other states and nearly 90 percent of the Fortune 500 companies have similar policies on sexual orientation.

Louisiana Family Forum is a group that seeks to “persuasively present biblical principles” in political and other issues. During the campaigns last year, the group’s leaders told Jindal and some legislators running for office, how disappointed they were in Blanco for signing the executive order, said Gene Mills of Baton Rouge, the group’s executive director.

“Gov. Jindal comes from a different mindset, understanding the damage that this potentially poses to children and to the economy. He decided not to re-up that executive order but to simply let it sunset,” Mills said.

Blanco’s order prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, national origin, political affiliation or disabilities — all areas covered by anti-discrimination laws. The order added “sexual orientation” to the list.