Some citizens? constitutional rights aren’t Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s top priority. Jindal’s said nothing, so far, about East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Department luring gay men into supposed sexual encounters and arresting them for sodomy.
After promising drinks and fun at a nearby park, The (Baton Rouge) Advocate reported, a deputy arrested a 65-year-old man on an ?attempted crime against nature? charge at the man’s apartment.
The sheriff’s department is convinced its actions are legal. Spokeswoman Casey Rayborn Hicks made perfectly clear:
This is a law that is currently on the Louisiana books, and the sheriff is charged with enforcing the laws passed by our Louisiana Legislature. Whether the law is valid is something for the courts to determine, but the sheriff will enforce the laws that are enacted.
Apparently, the sheriff’s department — and Bobby Jindal — never received a memo about the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2003 Lawrence v. Texas ruling, which outlawed anti-sodomy laws.
Houston police arrested John Lawrence and Tyron Turner in 1998 for violating Texas? ?Homosexual Conduct law, according to Lambda Legal. Officers were initially responded to a false report. The Lawrence v. Texas ruling became a catalyst for the fight for equality, according to the organization:
The mere existence of sodomy laws often had been used to justify wholesale discrimination against LGBT people. In striking down those laws, this historic ruling removed a major roadblock in the battle for LGBT rights. No longer can gay people be considered ?criminals? because they love others of the same sex.
However, East Baton Rouge Sheriff Sid Gautreaux has spoken out about the arrests, thenewcivilrightsmovment.com reports, even though Bobby Jindal hasn’t. Gautreaux offered this apology and promise:
I want to apologize on behalf of our agency that the way these park investigations were handled made it appear that we were targeting the gay community. That was not our intent.
Gautreaux also sought forgiveness from anyone ?was unintentionally harmed or offended by the actions of our investigations.? He vowed that his agency would learn from its poor choices and not let history repeat itself. Will the state of Louisiana and its governor, Bobby Jindal?
Photo of La. Governor Bobby Jindal from the Huffington Post.
edited/published by eap
