A new Louisiana law will shield workers from discipline if they refuse to use a transgender or non-binary colleague’s name or pronouns.

Republican governor Jeff Landry signed Act 579 into law on 30 May, with the measure due to take effect on 1 August, as reported by local NBC affiliate KTAL News.

The law prohibits employers from disciplining workers who refuse to share their own pronouns, decline to address colleagues by anything other than their birth name, or use pronouns that match a person’s sex assigned at birth rather than their gender identity.

Supporters have framed the measure as a protection for First Amendment free speech rights. LGBTQ+ advocates argue it amounts to a state-sanctioned licence to discriminate against transgender and nonbinary workers.

Democratic state representative Joy Walters raised concerns about the law’s impact on LGBTQ+ workers’ employment and mental health.

“They’re scared that this is all seemingly happening during Pride month,” she said. “To experience this level of hatred and whatnot again, it is scary to be one-dimensional and not accepting of other people.”

Walters also questioned Landry’s use of religious arguments to support the legislation, noting he has previously backed laws rooted in Christian beliefs. “Not everyone is a Christian, but also not every Christian has the same set of beliefs within the religion itself,” she said.