Rand Paul says he doesn't think LGBT employment protection is necessary

In Iowa on Wednesday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said because "society is rapidly changing" and there are "plenty of places" that will hire someone who is gay, there isn't a need for employment protections for LGBT people.

When the Republican presidential candidate was asked if an employer should be able to fire someone based on their sexual identity, NBC News reports, Paul responded: "I think, really, the things you do in your house, just leave those in your house and they wouldn't have to be a part of the workplace, to tell you the truth." If the LGBT community becomes a protected class, he said, it would "set up a whole industry of people who want to sue. So if you happen to be gay, you get fired — now you have a reason you can fire them. But it's almost impossible sometimes — you know, people don't put up a sign, 'I'm firing you because you're gay.' It's something that's very much disputed. And so I don't know that we need to keep adding to different classification to say the government needs to be involved in the hiring and firing." 


Paul made his comments at Drake University, and senior Sarah Fulton, a self-described Libertarian, told NBC News she heard other students say after the event that "they were with him until he said that. Our generation is becoming more and more accepting," she added. "I do think that would hurt him with a younger demographic, especially at a more liberal school like Drake."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up