Gov. John Bel Edwards is suing Attorney General Jeff Landry because he refuses to approve state contracts that comply with Edwards’ executive order protecting the LGBTQ community from workplace discrimination.
Before going any further, I want to take this opportunity to reiterate how important elections are. Imagine for a moment if Sen. David Vitter, R-La., had won the 2015 gubernatorial election. He wouldn’t have stopped Landry from discriminating. To be quite honest, he probably would have supported Landry.
But the people of Louisiana thankfully voted for someone who supports inclusion and acceptance.
Landry is using money as an excuse to oppose inclusion. According to The Times-Picayune, Landry opposed the LGBTQ language in state contracts because, somehow, it could create additional liabilities for the state, costing taxpayers money.
However, he fails to mention that he has no legal authority to deny these state contracts on the grounds he’s using. According to the Times-Picayune, the Louisiana Bar Association president wrote in an email “the attorney general is only supposed to review state contracts with private attorneys to make sure the lawyers are qualified to do the work. The law doesn’t give his office oversight over language such as the LGBTQ nondiscrimination clause.”
Not only is he discriminating against the LGBTQ community, but he’s going out of his way to do so.
He also claims to oppose the non-discrimination clauses because he’s reflecting the will of the legislature.
“It’s unfortunate that the governor continues to want to push for a protected class that the legislature has six times — with bipartisan support — rejected,” Landry said in a press conference.
I get it. To someone who never had to hide part of his identity at work, this executive order seems redundant. To someone who never had to justify his sexual orientation, this executive order seems pointless.
But when you grow up in a community where you’re not sure if you can truly be yourself, this executive order is a big deal. If you grow up in a community where 53 percent of residents don’t believe you should be allowed to get married, and 52 percent of residents believe businesses should be able to discriminate against you and your partner, having one glimmer of hope to be protected at work matters.
He’ll probably never understand the damage he’s causing to the LGBTQ community. He’ll never understand that, when a child hears his hateful comments, they’re being conditioned to believe that discriminating against gay or lesbian peers is okay.
I’ve heard people say that the civil rights movement for our community is moving quickly. Compared to other groups of marginalized people, I can understand that. But moments like this should make us all remember that the LGBTQ community still has work to do. I’m just glad we have a governor to drag Louisiana, kicking and screaming, to the correct side of history.
Cody Sibley is a 20-year-old mass communication junior from Opelousas, Louisiana.