Louisiana lawmakers delivered yet another blow to the state’s LGBT community Monday, after a series of sweeping setbacks that have characterized the legislature’s apparent aversion to human rights.
The House Civil Law and Procedure Committee killed a bill sponsored by Rep. Patricia Smith, D-Baton Rouge, that would have guaranteed LGBT community members, veterans, domestic violence victims and those with criminal records protection from housing discrimination. It is still currently legal in Louisiana for a landlord to kick any of these groups out of their homes.
In late March, a similar bill aimed at prohibiting gay housing discrimination failed to make it out of committee.
Monday’s decision comes two weeks after the legislature voted to uphold the state’s unconstitutional anti-sodomy laws and mere days after a lawmaker had to pull her bill guaranteeing gays protection from workplace discrimination because she was not able to garner enough votes.
Legislators who voted against Smith’s bill were not properly representing their constituents, said Matthew Patterson, research and policy coordinator for Equality Louisiana, an LGBT advocacy group.
“People want fair treatment for all their neighbors,” Patterson said.
Patterson encouraged residents across the state to exercise their rights by speaking out on behalf of LGBT issues at legislative committee meetings.
“Every single person in the state has a voice,” Patterson said. “This is one of those things people assume we’ve taken care of already.”
Smith, who also sponsored the unsuccessful anti-sodomy bill, said she has received calls from across the nation regarding Louisiana’s recent gay rights battles.
Smith said she thought nothing would change in the legislature until Louisianans stopped electing lawmakers who “don’t regard LGBT people as human beings.”
“We have got to have people who respect people for who they are,” Smith said.