Louisiana Governor and 2016 presidential hopeful Bobby Jindal has announced that he’s more than happy to sign a “religious freedom” bill filed by a Louisiana legislator last week. The bill is similar to the notorious “religious freedom” law signed by Gov. Mike Pence in Indiana two weeks ago.
Shannon Bates Dirmann, a spokeswoman for the wildly unpopular Louisiana governor, called it a “common sense bill” that “provides necessary protections for individuals to prevent adverse treatment from the state based on religious beliefs regarding marriage.”
On Sunday, Jindal sat down with “Meet the Press” for an interview, in which he stopped just short of backing the bill. He also voiced his full support for the “religious freedom” bill signed by his buddy Mike Pence in Indiana two weeks ago. You know, the one that pretty much destroyed Pence’s reputation and ruined his chances of ever entering national politics.
While not identical to Indiana’s law, Louisiana’s “religious freedom” bill will have similar affects by granting private business owners the right to discriminate against legally married LGBT employees by denying them the same benefits offered to opposite-sex couples, even if gay marriage is made legal in the Bayou State, as it’s widely expected to later this year.
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The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Mike Johnson, describes the legislation as a way of “protecting business owners from government retaliation based on their personal beliefs about marriage.” It is not, he says, meant to be used to discriminate against same-sex couples. But, of course, it could be.
That potential is not preventing Gov. Jindal from pledging his support, however.
“We support the bill,” his spokeswoman said.
h/t: Nola.com
Related stories:
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David Letterman Shreds Mike Pence Over His Home State’s Discrimination Of Gays And Lesbians
Louisiana House of Representatives Votes 27-66 To Keep 200-Year-Old Anti-Sodomy Law
Iain David Mcauley
Another closet case!!
Realitycheck
Lets watch how fast Louisiana economy crashes, these religious bigots
never learn.
1EqualityUSA
How do these ‘tards get elected?
Atrius
I say we let this one slide so we can watch Louisiana’s economy crash and burn. They seem like a good example to make.
polarisfashion
@1EqualityUSA: Too many low information voters that watch Faux News and believe the lies they hear. Its amazing how people will vote against their own interests. Its really sad.
Wil Bristow
If you are in the public market place, your religion is just that, YOUR RELIGION, not mine or anyone else’s. By the logic this laws use, then a christian gun seller is a active party in any killing or injury committed with a gun they sold.
Cam
The biggest issue for the GOP this election cycle is their desperation to be able to discriminate against SOMEBODY! That is all they care about, and since they can’t legally do it to racial minorities anymore (legally and publicly) by God they are going to fight to keep doing it to SOMEBODY! After all, if they can’t discriminate how can they keep telling their voters things like “Well, we haven’t helped you economically but at least you aren’t one of those homos! You’re way better than them! Now vote GOP again!
tdh1980
The fact that the GOP has men like Jindal, Ted Cruz, Ben Carson, and Marco Rubio — individuals who, under normal circumstances, are the types of “others” that conservatives love to villify — stanning so hard for them and their bigoted “ideals” makes me wonder what kind of sorcery the party engages in to keep the blinders on their eyes.
Giancarlo85
Bobby Jindal has done a piss poor job representing Louisiana. Lets not even start about that state’s nonexistent economy and horrible infrastructure. Maybe Jindal should focus on the woes of his third world state, rather than critizing gay people.
Alexandre Schleider
Do they have a contest of the biggest bigot at GOP?
chaddyboy6
The law if superfluous anyhow. The Constitution implicitly allows freedom of association(to deal or not to deal with any person or business for any reason. Please remember that business are run by people)though no one seems to care about that anyhow. And I still do not understand why any rational person would want to force a person who does not like them or who does not want to deal with them, to have to interact with them. It is sadomasochistic to want to deal with someone who holds you in disdain. The proper way to handle it, is to let others know that this person or business is discriminatory. and hit them where it hurts. their pocketbook. get the word out. but to use force is just as irrational and immoral as the business or person being irrational.
jason smeds
Jindal is a ridiculous man with ugly features, both physical and mental.
Cam
@chaddyboy6:
That is not how a society works. If somebody wants a license to do business with the public, then they have to do business with “The Public”. Since “The Public” paid for and supports the govt. and the surrounding area the business uses, they cannot refuse to do business with a certain group of people.
Lets say there is a small town, the town has one gas station, the nearest other gas station is 50 miles away. The owners of that gas station say they will not serve Asians. That has effectively shut Asians out from living in that town. (And please don’t try the Libertarian crap saying that an Asian should then open up their own station).
That gas station has a license to do business with the public, if the owner can’t abide by it, then they shouldn’t open a business end of story.
Now back to you, why is it so important to you that somebody have the right to illegally discriminate?
Dev.C
@Atrius:
I take it you know little about Louisiana economy or what actually resides their. New Orleans is my home city and in contrast from the rest of the state is quite liberal and if anything the city would probably disagree with something like this because it would hurt their hospitality/ tourism business and gay citizens. Bobby Jindal represents the majority of white republican conservative assholes who live in northern less developed areas. Most people in New Orleans (black people) seriously dislike this man, he’s a terrible governor and continues to dig himself deeper and deeper into a ditch.
Mark Alan McRoberts
nothing says love like bigotry
1EqualityUSA
Cam, Can’t add to that. Fantastic.
Ron King
Cow worship. Pyush Jindal.
1EqualityUSA
Dev.C, Thanks for your comment too. It sounds as though the voters in your area are disenfranchised. Of course, that’s how _________ such as Jindal get elected. Gerry Mander for Prez!
Giancarlo85
@chaddyboy6: You are wrong. Businesses are operating to serve the public. If they cannot adhere to antidiscrimination laws they should close their doors.
Stache99
@Giancarlo85: I prefer his real name Piyush Jindal.
GritsRgr8
Republicans = Hate
jwtraveler
@Ron King: The fact that he’s an a-hole doesn’t justify attacking him with racism. And BTW he’s Christian; I don’t believe they worship cows.
jwtraveler
Louisiana is one of the poorest states in the country and falls near the bottom on almost every scale of socioeconomic measurement. It has one of the highest murder rates in the country and has failed its black citizens miserably since Hurricane Katrina. One would think the governor has more important things to deal with than finding new ways to discriminate against its LGBT citizens. Apparently not.
TampaBayTed
The guv is a Xtian convert.
SteveDenver
When a brown person lives in a hotbed of racism and bigotry, one would think he might develop a sense of fairness. But Jindal defies those expectations. Brown Boggy Bigot is such a human failure.
Lancome Counter
Have people forgotten about the Tower of Bable? God also doesn’t want people of different ethnicity to be together. We can’t take everything the bible says so literal. But because of religious freedom you can technically use tower of bable to be racist
Chris Vogel
Evidently, the Republicans are not just the party of stupid, but bigotry, too. Christians all.
Fidel Lee
my commomn sense says you have no sense whatsoever!!!!!
Bob LaBlah
@chaddyboy6: Finally a voice of reason has appeared. I too say, more or less, why kiss someones ass to do business with you. This represents a golden opportunity for those who are denied services to get together and open their own businesses to serve their own community. In other words, learn to do for self and YOUR community instead of whining about that “they” won’t do for you.
Everything has an infancy period and I think this is it for the gay business community. Success has always been the spoiler for bigots.
1EqualityUSA
Segregation is what you are suggesting, Bob LaBlah. Freedom will not be sustained by it.
Charles Jenkins
Do NOT travel to Louisiana. Spend your travel budget in an accepting city.
Jim Guinnessey
Jindal is just another Republican jackass who will pander to any hate group(political or religious) to worm his way into the coming presidential primaries.
Kamal Patel
Shame on you, remember you are the son of immigrant Indians, who fought bigotry like yours to gain their freedom from the British – Shame on you Pyush, and whats with the Bobby crap
John Smith
They should send that guy back to his country
Cam
@Bob LaBlah: said… “@chaddyboy6: Finally a voice of reason has appeared. I too say, more or less, why kiss someones ass to do business with you. This represents a golden opportunity for those who are denied services to get together and open their own businesses to serve their own community.”
_________________
No, actually what you are doing is defending bigotry and illegal discrimination.
Rick Caffey
Can we see your long form birth certificate?
CoreyYoquelet
The more progress that is made, the more backlash there will be. Local codes and laws and opprobrium against discriminatory ones does little to remedy the fact that Americans with minority gender identities and orientations can be legally fired, evicted and targeted in hate crimes in most states states and at the Federal level. If you want to do something, demand ??#?CivilRightsForAllAmericans? and share and sign these petitions:
petitions.moveon.org/sign/civil-rights-for-all-3
incorrigiblycorey.blogspot.com/2015/03/can-last-straw-be-first.html
Bob LaBlah
@Cam: No, actually what you are doing is defending bigotry and illegal discrimination.”
Wow! And here I thought I was encouraging those amongst us to get up and do for self and quit whining. My bad.
Giancarlo85
Those who are denied services should go open their own businesses? Again spoken like someone with little understanding of the law. When you go into business, you need to follow a long list of rules and regulations. If you cannot abide by laws and ordinances, you should close up shop.
The “gay business” community? What the fuck does that have to do with discrimination in businesses? This has nothing to do with gay people opening up businesses. Are people this stupid in here? Stop saying “oh but gay people should open their own businesses and let discrimination continue elsewhere!!!!”. That’s called being a bigot enabler.
Roger Honeycutt
Oh there was a name for him in less political correct times and I have a strong urge to use it now.
Kangol
@Ron King: Bobby Jindal is a devout, Bible-waving Christian, not Hindu, and insulting Hindus or any entire group of people is really uncalled for.
jwtraveler
@John Smith: He was born in Louisiana. Which country do you think that is?
sectbrawn
“Common sense” would lead one to believe there’s no need for these asinine laws since The Constitution (which they all profess to love) already protects religious freedom. Sounds to me like the “special rights” they’re always pissing and moaning about when it comes to ensuring bays and lesbians equal rights.
arj
This is one ugly dude.
Robert Becker
Bobby is just reading the Tea Party script. I doubt he has ever had an original thought in his head.
GayEGO
Nothing surprising here, Bobby Jingle Balls is a Repugnantan that does not use his brain.
Bob LaBlah
@Roger Honeycutt: Does the word start with a P goes something like aniny at the end?
Ethan K. Ellis
The people of Louisiana need to fight back.
Bob LaBlah
@Ethan K. Ellis: If the people of Louisiana elected this fool twice what does THAT tell you about the mentality of the people that live there, race be damned?
jwtraveler
The r@cism expressed by some of the commenters here is truly disturbing. Do you think that your bigotry is any more acceptable than his? IT ISN’T!
scotshot
@Bob LaBlah: 8 We should create our own separate community? If doctors, pharmacists, hotels, grocery stores won’t do business with us just accept it?
You’ve forgotten the past.
Go back to straight land Troll.