Presidential hopeful Marco Rubio pledges to reverse Obama’s LGBT rights order
Republican Presidential hopeful Marco Rubio has pledged to reverse President Obama’s executive order outlawing anti-LGBT discrimination.
After a federal law outlawing anti-LGBT discrimination was blocked by Republicans in Congress, last year Obama signed an Executive Order on the issue.]
The order outlawed homophobic discrimination among federal contractors, protecting LGBT workers for the first time – though it is still legal to fire someone for being gay in many states.
However, Obama’s landmark order is under threat from the Republicans – and this week supposed ‘moderate’ candidate Marco Rubio has pledged to repeal it.
Rubio told the Christian Broadcasting Network: “There’s no doubt that we need to be extra vigilant now about protecting the religious liberties of Americans and that includes having a justice department that’s vigilant about ensuring that those who hold traditional values are not being discriminated against.
“That includes reversing any administrative decisions made by this President that force religious, or religious motivated entities.
“You may not be owned by a church, but you are a religious school, or your mission is to spread the Gospel and adhere to God’s teachings ensure that people in the private sector and the not-for-profit sector are being protected in living out their faith.”
He added: “I would reverse the executive orders the President has made on things like gender equality in restrooms.”
“You’ve seen some local districts and others been forced to, you know, provide girls access to a boys’ bathroom and so forth.
“These sorts of things you’ve seen in Illinois for example, but also ensure that we’re not doing anything that at any part in our government that is putting organizations that are motivated by their faith or organized around their faith from having to violate the tenants of their faith and that includes government contractors.
“There are many government contractors and small companies who provide services to the government who are faith-based people, and they are, they are being compelled to sin by government in their business conduct.
“That is not something we should be supporting.”
If the law was repealed, LGBT workers in many states would be entirely left without legal protection from discrimination.
Watch the clip below:
