A panel at the World Economic Forum addressed the need for LGBT equality across the globe this weekend in Davos, Switzerland.
While there have been many openly discriminatory actions against LGBT people internationally, a poll conducted by the LSU Public Policy Research Lab in 2013 showed nine out of 10 people across the state support fair treatment for all.
One topic the panel discussed was evangelicals’ campaigning in other countries across the world to discourage equality for LGBT people. The panel said there are religious groups that are not having success combating LGBT rights in the U.S. so they are going to other countries, attempting to influence legislation against LGBT people.
However, in Louisiana, the most recent poll statistics show that on average 90 percent of residents believe LGBT people should not be discriminated against.
The three questions in the poll concerned employment, housing and student harassment and bullying in schools. The poll drew from different demographics, including people classified as Democrats, Republicans and Independents.
Of those surveyed, 89.3 percent of residents said nobody should be fired for being gay or transgender, while 93.7 percent of residents said nobody should be evicted or denied housing for being gay or transgender. The survey found that 89.5 percent of residents said schools should protect gay and transgender students from being harassed or bullied.
Michael Beyer, Spectrum panel coordinator, said the results took him by surprise because he never expected the percentage of support to be so high. Many popular depictions of Louisiana show the state as not being supportive of LGBT rights, but most of the time this is not the case, Beyer said.
The progressive side of the state is starting to show itself in LGBT support in the legislative realm as well, though many people are still afraid to go against Gov. Bobby Jindal in this issue, Beyer said.
“There is a changing in the status quo regarding the equality of LGBT people,” Beyer said.
However, in Shreveport, the city council passed a fairness ordinance providing protection from discrimination in the workplace, housing and public places in a 6-1 vote, Beyer said. This ordinance and the fact that representation for LGBT people is spreading is great progress, he said.
Though the panel at the World Economic Forum discussed the extreme discrimination against LGBT people across the world in places like Nigeria, Uganda and Russia, the panel speakers agreed the freedom U.S. citizens have to support and raise awareness is a privilege. Melanie Stapleton, president of Spectrum, agreed with this ideal.
“While we have much farther to go in terms of being a nation that treats all citizens equally, we can at least take comfort that we do have the privilege of the freedoms granted to us to campaign and fight for equality of all citizens, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity,” Stapleton said.
“There is a changing in the status quo regarding the equality of LGBT people.”