Louisiana Governor Defends LGBTQ+ Rights, Vetoes Discriminatory Bills

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards has vetoed three anti-LGBTQ+ bills passed by the state's Republican-majority legislature. The bills targeted LGBTQ+ youth and included measures such as forbidding school employees from using transgender students' preferred names or pronouns without parental approval, prohibiting discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in public schools, and banning gender-affirming healthcare for trans youth. Edwards called the bills discriminatory, harmful, and extremist, and expressed concerns about the impact on vulnerable children. The governor's vetoes put him at odds with the Republican-dominated legislature, which has the power to override the vetoes.