“We are fortunate enough to live in a state that is rich with diversity, and we are built on a foundation of unity and fairness for all of our citizens,” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a statement. | AP Photo Louisiana governor signs exec order against LGBT discrimination

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards signed a nondiscrimination executive order on Wednesday and rescinded an executive order from former Gov. Bobby Jindal that expanded provisions in a bill Edwards said “sanctions unfair discrimination.”

“We are fortunate enough to live in a state that is rich with diversity, and we are built on a foundation of unity and fairness for all of our citizens,” Edwards said in a statement. “We respect our fellow citizens for their beliefs, but we do not discriminate based on our disagreements.”


The executive order protects against LGBT discrimination for state employees and workers hired by state contractors. It also provides employment safeguards on the basis of race, religion, political affiliation, disability and age, among others, but recognizes an exemption for churches and religious organizations.

According to the governor’s office, former Govs. Edwin Edwards and Kathleen Blanco signed similar executive orders in Louisiana, which has no state law to safeguard against employers discriminating against workers who may be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

“While this executive order respects the religious beliefs of our people, it also signals to the rest of the country that discrimination is not a Louisiana value, but rather, that Louisiana is a state that is respective and inclusive of everyone around us,” added Edwards, who slammed Jindal’s executive order as a directive “meant to serve a narrow political agenda.”

Jindal’s action barred the state from effectively penalizing people and businesses “with deeply held religious beliefs that marriage is between” a man and a woman — which critics said allowed for discrimination against the LGBT community.

Edwards’ executive order comes a day after North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed an executive order amending House Bill 2 that expands the state’s employment policy to protect sexual orientation and gender identity and urges the state’s General Assembly to modify part of the law to allow the right to sue in state court for discrimination. It also explicitly affirms the right of private businesses to establish their own policies governing the use of their restrooms and locker rooms, in addition to the rights of the private sector and local governments to establish nondiscrimination policies for their own employees The order did not, however, roll back the limits on which bathrooms transgender people are allowed to use.

“After listening to people’s feedback for the past several weeks on this issue, I have come to the conclusion that there is a great deal of misinformation, misinterpretation, confusion, a lot of passion and frankly, selective outrage and hypocrisy, especially against the great state of North Carolina,” McCrory said in a statement Tuesday, which touted North Carolina as one of 24 states that currently has employee protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. “Based upon this feedback, I am taking action to affirm and improve the state’s commitment to privacy and equality.”

Since North Carolina passed the law and McCrory signed it late last month, the state has faced a barrage of criticism. A number of large corporations have voiced their strong opposition, including 21st Century Fox, Bank of America, Apple, Cisco, IBM and PayPal, which scrapped its plans to expand in the state. Bruce Springsteen canceled his Greensboro, North Carolina, concert late last week, and the National Basketball Association is facing congressional pressure to move next year's All-Star Game from Charlotte’s Time Warner Cable Arena.

McCrory’s executive order and comments Tuesday did not address the portion of HB2 that rolled back “living wage” provisions passed by local governments, such as the one it overturned in Charlotte.