A "religious liberty" introduced in Louisiana last week is as aggressive and anti-gay as the one that caused nationwide outrage in Indiana last week and Governor Bobby Jindal now says he'll support it, the Times-Picayune reports:
The Louisiana legislation is not exactly the same as the laws introduced in Indiana and Arkansas, but it deals with many of the same issues related to same-sex marriage and religious protections.
Legal scholars said the bill would allow private businesses to refuse to recognize same-sex marriage, should it become legal in Louisiana. The legislation would — among other things — allow a private company to not offer the same benefits to legally-recognized same-sex married couples as other married couples, on the basis of a religious objection.
Governor Bobby Jindal, who appeared on Meet the Press over the weekend but did not commit to supporting the bill, now says he will:
"Yes, we support the bill. This is a common sense bill that provides necessary protections for individuals to prevent adverse treatment from the state based on religious beliefs regarding marriage," said Shannon Bates Dirmann, spokeswoman for the governor, in a written statement.
Jindal also told hate group leader Tony Perkins on his radio show that Christian businesses who won't serve gays are the real victims of discrimination.
