Governor Bobby Jindal is defending his headlining a prayer rally on Louisiana State University's campus next month that has drawn the ire of student protesters who say the group hosting the event promotes discrimination and an anti-gay agenda.
The January 24 prayer rally is expected to draw thousands of people to LSU's campus for what Jindal, a Roman Catholic, describes in an invitation as "a time of worship, prayer, fasting and repentance."
But the event, called The Response, has drawn heavy criticism because of the views of its sponsor organization, the Mississippi-based American Family Association. The organization has linked same-sex marriage and abortion to disasters like tornadoes and Hurricane Katrina.
Jindal sidestepped a question Wednesday about the organization's controversial comments and maintained his enthusiastic support for the event.