White House's Josh Earnest: The struggle for LGBT rights continues

Washington, D.C. - The White House on Tuesday weighed in on state efforts to undermine the Supreme Court's finding that gay and lesbian couples have a constitutional right to marry.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said that legislation seen by critics as allowing discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity demonstrates that the struggle for LGBT equality "goes on."

"The president obviously has spoken warmly and even celebrated the ruling on gay marriage from the Supreme Court last summer. That obviously was a ruling that the president thought was the right one and was appropriately regarded as an historic one. But the president never was under the impression – and I don't think anybody was – that that would be the end of the struggle for equality and for justice and for fairness. That struggle goes on," Earnest told reporters as he traveled with President Barack Obama aboard Air Force One to Georgia.

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal on Monday rejected a bill approved by lawmakers that sought to protect opponents of marriage equality. Some lawmakers have said they'll attempt to override Deal's veto.

"I think there are a number of states – Indiana certainly comes to mind – that have regretted the way that they had considered those kinds of policy changes," Earnest added.