While many people may focus on the fun-loving city of New Orleans when they think of Louisiana, most of the state’s residents are actually socially conservative. This reality has contributed to the difficulty in legalizing Louisiana gay marriage.
Up until a 2003 Supreme Court ruling, sodomy was still illegal in Louisiana with punishments for those convicted of the crime ranging from two – ten years in prison and/or a fine of $2000. In 2004, shortly after the sodomy law was struck down, Louisiana voters overwhelming passed a state constitutional amendment that prohibited same sex weddings. Ten years has passed since the anti-gay marriage amendment was made law, but the opinion of Bayou State residents doesn’t appear to have significantly evolved. An August 2013 poll by Public Policy Polling found only 28% of Louisiana residents thought same-sex unions should be made legal.
Two recent rulings on Louisiana gay marriage have put the future of the issue up for grabs. With his September 3, 2014 ruling U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman dealt marriage equality advocates a setback. He ruled same sex marriages legally performed in other states were not valid in Louisiana. In a contradictory ruling several weeks later, 15th Judicial District Court Judge Edward Rubin found that the 2004 constitutional amendment violated the 14th Amendment. Judge Rubin’s case was filed by a gay couple who sought to have their out-of state marriage recognized in Louisiana so one of the women could legally adopt her son.
There are several organizations that are working to make same-sex unions legal in Louisiana. Equality Louisiana is committed to a variety of social justices causing including gay marriage. Forum for Equality is a PAC and civil rights group that strives for a society free of discrimination.
Proponents of Louisiana gay marriage look forward to the day when homosexual couples have the same rights and protections as heterosexual one, but there is still much work to be done.
