Marco Rubio Backs Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” Bill, Continuing His Long Anti-LGBTQ Record
As advocates warn Florida’s “don’t say gay” bill will put LGBTQ students at risk, Marco Rubio has come out in favor of it in two recent interviews, another sign that he’s too weak to stand up for vulnerable Floridians who need support.
Rubio has a long history of putting his own extreme views ahead of the needs of the Floridians he represents. He called allowing LGBTQ parents to adopt a “social experiment,” gave a speech in Orlando on his opposition to gay marriage two months after the Pulse shooting, and voted against legislation in the Senate to ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
See below for more coverage of Rubio’s support for the “don’t say gay” bill:
Washington Blade: Marco Rubio comes out swinging in defense of ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill
- Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has come out in defense of the legislation in Florida known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, downplaying its potential negative impact on LGBTQ families and rejecting the name critics have given the bill.
- During an interview with a local ABC News affiliate that went online Monday, Rubio said the “Don’t Say Gay” label for the bill, which would prohibit classroom “instruction” on sexual orientation and gender identity in grades K-3 or “not age-appropriate” settings, was “ridiculous.”
- Rubio’s remarks in favor of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill are consistent with his voting record on LGBTQ issues, which includes “no” votes on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and thwarting the confirmation of a gay Black judicial nominee.
American Independent: Marco Rubio isn't posing as a gay ally anymore
- In 2016, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) advised his fellow Christian conservatives to show tolerance toward LGBTQ people. Six years later, Rubio has made an about-face and is supporting Florida's attacks on LGBTQ rights.
- As he seeks a third Senate term in 2022, Rubio is no longer pretending to support the rights of LGBTQ Floridians.
- On Monday, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy warned that the Florida [“don’t say gay”] bill "sends a signal to LGBTQ+ youth that they are not fully accepted." In response, Rubio tweeted on Tuesday that Murthy "argues that schools should be having discussions with children from 5 to 8 years old about sexual orientation & gender identity." Just 14 minutes later, Rubio posted a Bible quote from the Book of Isaiah about Sodom and Gomorrah — two ancient cities that LGBTQ rights opponents often cite to condemn same-sex relationships.
- Rubio also used the mistreatment of LGBTQ people in other countries as an argument against international leaders he disliked. He reminded his followers that gay Cubans were imprisoned under Fidel Castro in the 1970s and condemned the Russian government's mistreatment of LGBTQ people in Chechnya in 2017, demanding "#expressionNOToppression."
- But his rhetoric proved to be only that. In 2020, he attacked Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) for her vocal support of marriage equality, calling it "condescension."
- According to the Human Rights Campaign, a nonprofit LGBTQ-rights organization that keeps a scorecard of congressional votes on issues of equality, Rubio earned a score of zero in each of the last three sessions of Congress — meaning he voted against the interests of the LGBTQ community at every single opportunity.