Truthout
Louisiana
![A man in blue holds a sign reading "HIV STIGMA KILLS" while another behind him holds a sign reading "WE WILL NOT GO BACK; SAY NO TO HIV CRIMINALIZATION" during an outdoor protest](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2023/01/2023-0125-hiv-stigma-400x300.jpg)
People With HIV Are Still Being Criminalized in 25 States
In some states, consensual sex for people with HIV can end in a prison sentence or being registered as a sex offender.
![A diverse group of activists holds a purple banner saying "Abortion Justice" in Washington DC](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2023/01/GettyImages-1344475444-400x300.jpg)
Activists Call for Mass Rallies on Sunday to Protest Abortion Bans
Nancy Davis, a survivor of Louisiana’s abortion ban, will be leading the march in Baton Rouge.
![A woman's hand reaches for a black book with a red spine on a library shelf of assorted books.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2022/12/2022_2612-Libraries-400x300.jpg)
Louisiana Communities Organize to Defend Libraries From Far Right Censorship
A far right battle against libraries that started in Lafayette is now unfolding across the state.
![Students Tyneisha Bell, front, and Chelsea Wheeler, practice a color application on mannequin heads at the American Barber and Beauty Academy in Reading, Pennsylvania on June 15, 2021.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2022/12/GettyImages-1324304244-400x300.jpg)
Low-Wage Workers Such as Beauticians Face Unnecessary Licensing Burdens
Multiple studies show that mandatory licensing hurts workers financially, reduces employment and raises consumer costs.
![Flood waters are seen in Norco, Louisiana, on August 30, 2021, after Hurricane Ida made landfall.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2022/12/2022_1208-hurricane-ida-400x300.jpg)
Aftermath of Climate Disasters Looms Large in Louisiana Runoff Election
On December 10, a three-term incumbent utility regulator faces a challenger backed by a people-powered movement.
![An offender transportation bus at Angola prison in Louisiana is pictured on October 14, 2013.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2022/11/2022_1110-louisiana-state-penitentiary-400x300.jpg)
Four States Voted to End Slavery — But Not Louisiana. Here’s Why.
The defeat of the ballot amendment underscores the challenges faced by the movement abolish slavery in prisons.
![Smoke billows from one of many chemical plants in the area around Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on October 12, 2013.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2022/10/2022_1021-cancer-alley-400x300.jpg)
EPA Calls Out Environmental Racism in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley”
For the first time in a long time, the EPA is putting civil rights enforcement tools to work.
![A Black woman leaves a voting booth next to a mural of Martin Luther King Jr.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-621787950-400x300.jpg)
Black Voters Are Fighting Racial Gerrymandering in Louisiana
At every turn, a new tactic has been introduced to abridge some voters’ ability to participate in democracy.
![A FEMA representative reaches out to residents at Redemption City as recovery continues from the previous week's tornado on December 16, 2021, in Dawson Springs, Kentucky.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2022/06/2022_0620-fema-400x300.jpg)
FEMA Isn’t Only Solution to Climate Disaster. Government Must Fund Mutual Aid.
As wildfire and hurricane season approaches, we must demand solutions that empower communities to rebuild with dignity.
![Tombstones On Grassy Field In Cemetery Against Sky](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2022/05/GettyImages-566403169-400x300.jpg)
Whistleblower Warns Development Threatens Louisiana’s Sacred Black History Sites
Plans to build a $400 million grain elevator would disrupt Black burial grounds and educational sites about slavery.