Marco Rubio is a bigot who hates being called a bigot. Who knew?
Via Think Progress:
Though Rubio bristles at the notion of being called a “bigot,” he showed no willingness to help protect LGBT workers from discrimination. “I’m not for any special protections based on orientation,” Rubio told ThinkProgress.
KEYES: The Senate this summer is going to be taking up the Employment
Non-Discrimination Act which makes it illegal to fire someone for being gay. Do you
know if you’ll be supporting that?
RUBIO: I haven’t read the legislation. By and large I think all Americans should be
protected but I’m not for any special protections based on orientation.
KEYES: What about on race or gender?
RUBIO: Well that’s established law.
KEYES: But not for sexual orientation?
It's very possible that I am not aware of this approach having been taken but this prime bit of hypocrisy, here, above, suggests to me the question:
"What if there were no difference between gender discrimination and discrimination for sexual orientation. What then, Marco?"
I'm thinking that bias against specific sexual orientation(s) is a gender issue and, as a gender issue, current law and Constitutional protections do -- or should -- apply.
In a business relationship as described above, the relationship exists between the employer and the employed, not with the third-party spouse or significant other. In fact, there needn't actually be an existing third-party to have this conflict between the employed's rights and the employer's ability to fire them ("without cause," let's assume). Rubio certainly wouldn't insist that you have to have a boyfriend before he could fire you for being gay, would he?
I'm suggesting that since it doesn't even matter if a third party even exists, then the gender of the third party cannot reasonably matter. This leaves only the employer, and the employed.
Now, if we consider that there are two employed persons -- one man, one woman -- each of whom might or might not have a significant other...and if the gender of that significant other cannot reasonably matter...isn't the only difference between these two employed persons their gender?
Even if these two people are both dating the same guy -- if it's illegal for the employer to fire the woman but "legal" to fire the man, isn't that gender discrimination?
I say it is.