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James Lankford, a Republican representative from Oklahoma, believes a person should be able to be fired for his or her sexual orientation, according to Think Progress. Lankford spoke with Annie-Rose Strasser and Scott Keyes last week in Washington, D.C., and expressed his belief that being gay is a choice and something that doesn't merit workplace protections from discrimination (which a few congressional leaders are trying to push through in 2012).
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Watch the video for the full conversation.
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A choice excerpt from the conversation:
STRASSER: Would you support a law that says you can't fire someone for their sexual orientation -
KEYES: Similar to protections for people on race or gender?LANKFORD: Well, you're now dealing with behavior and I'm trying to figure out exactly what you're trying to mean by that. Because you're dealing with -- race and sexual preferences are two different things. One is a behavior-related and preference-related and one is something inherently -- skin color, something obvious, that kind of stuff. You don't walk up to someone on the street and look at them and say, "Gay or straight?"
KEYES: But you think that even if you can't see they're that way, you don't think someone is born gay necessarily?
LANKFORD: Do I personally? No. I don't. I think it's a choice issue. Are tendencies and such? Yes. But I think it's a choice issue.
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Diane Anderson-Minshall
Diane Anderson-Minshall is the CEO of Pride Media, and editorial director of The Advocate, Out, and Plus magazine. She's the winner of numerous awards from GLAAD, the NLGJA, WPA, and was named to Folio's Top Women in Media list. She and her co-pilot of 30 years, transgender journalist Jacob Anderson-Minshall penned several books including Queerly Beloved: A Love Across Genders.
Diane Anderson-Minshall is the CEO of Pride Media, and editorial director of The Advocate, Out, and Plus magazine. She's the winner of numerous awards from GLAAD, the NLGJA, WPA, and was named to Folio's Top Women in Media list. She and her co-pilot of 30 years, transgender journalist Jacob Anderson-Minshall penned several books including Queerly Beloved: A Love Across Genders.