Bobby Jindal to comply with same-sex marriage ruling

Louisiana's Indian-American Governor Bobby Jindal is still not reconciled with the US Supreme Court's ruling to recognize same-sex marriage, but for now his state agencies will comply with its decree.

Even though the apex court ruled Friday in a 5-4 decision in support of same-sex marriage, the Republican presidential candidate said on Fox News Monday, he will "continue fighting" over his belief that marriage is between a man and a woman.

"An earthly court doesn't change for me the institution that was created, defined by God," he said. "My Christian faith teaches me that marriage is between a man and a woman."

Jindal also voiced concerns that the Supreme Court's decision may impact business owners nationwide who may object to same-sex marriage.

"Already, Christian businesses are facing discrimination if they don't want to participate in wedding ceremonies that violate their sincerely held beliefs," Jindal said.

He pointed to his own religious freedom executive order in Louisiana that is meant to protect public and private employees who have objections to same-sex marriage.

Jindal's executive counsel, Thomas Enright, issued a memo on Monday that reiterated the state's commitment to protecting the rights of residents who don't believe in same-sex marriage.

"We do not support discrimination and believe that these two foundational values can simultaneously co-exist," Enright wrote in the memo.

The Supreme Court ruling, he wrote, "does not permit states to bar same-sex couples from marriage, but the ruling in no way forces specific individuals to violate their sincerely held religious beliefs, or to perform or facilitate same sex marriages."

However, LGBT advocates and legal experts pointed out significant limits exist on such religious protections.

"A government employee doesn't have the right to not obey the law," Marjorie Esman, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, was quoted as saying by NOLA.com.

Gay rights advocates said Louisiana was believed to have been the last state that hadn't issued any licenses to same-sex couples after Friday's \\historic Supreme Court decision.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)