Tech conglomerate IBM canceled Monday's ribbon-cutting in commencement for their new National Service Center in Baton Rouge in protest of Gov. Bobby Jindal's executive order allowing citizens to opt out of servicing same-sex weddings based on religious convictions.
After the Marriage and Conscience Act failed to pass Louisiana's state legislature, Gov. Jindal, a devout Roman Catholic, immediately issued an executive order that mirrored the bills language, which prohibited the government from taking "any adverse action against a person" due to that person’s "religious belief[s] or moral convictions[s] about the institution of marriage."
Similar to the firestorm that erupted Arizona, Indiana and Arkansas when they attempted to implement similar religious freedom bills, gay activists decried Bobby Jindal's order as unjustly discriminatory towards the LGBT community. IBM along with other corporations then threatened to boycott the state if Gov. Jindal did not rescind his order, which culminated in the corporation canceling Monday's ribbon-cutting.
In a letter addressed to Gov. Jindal himself back in April, IBM Senior State Executive James Driesse warned that a bill which "legally protects discrimination based on same-sex marriage status will create a hostile environment for our current and prospective employees, and is antithetical to our company’s values."
"IBM will find it much harder to attract talent to Louisiana if this bill is passed and enacted into law," the letter continued.
No major or formal declarations were made by IBM to cancel the ribbon-cutting – estimated to bring in over 800 jobs – and was only quietly taken off their schedule. Though no announcements have been made, another ceremony may take place in the fall.
In defense of his executive order, Gov. Jindal said, "It just means if an entity acts in accordance with a religious belief in traditional marriage, then the state can’t take away its license to operate."
Multiple leftists from ThinkProgress to The Advocate have cheered on the actions of IBM, saying Louisiana deserved punishment for offending the LGBT community.
