Bill that would ban LGBTQ employment discrimination is shot down by Louisiana lawmakers

Published: May 4, 2023

By: Gabby Jimenez and Claire Sullivan, LSU Manship School News Service

John Raymond and Rep. Delisha Boyd, D-New Orleans, testify in front of the House Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations. (Gabby Jimenez/LSU Manship School News Service)

A House committee on Wednesday shot down a bill in a 7-5 vote that would have banned employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The bill would have added to current state law, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin or cultural hairstyle.

Rep. Delisha Boyd, D-New Orleans, told the House Labor and Industrial Relations Committee that her bill would help address a worker shortage in Louisiana.

“Skilled and talented people are in short supply in our state,” Boyd said. “We need to expand our employment pool regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation.”

Melissa Flournoy, a board chair of 10,000 Women Louisiana, a progressive organization, said that with other bills up this session opposed by the LGBTQ community, passing this proposal would send the message that “Louisiana doesn’t hate gay people.”