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Marco Rubio Gets Endorsed by Hobby Lobby CEO, Proponent of Discriminatory Anti-LGBT Policies
Earlier this week, founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby David Green endorsed Senator Marco Rubio for President.
As you’ll remember, the arts-and-crafts chain was thrust into the national spotlight during the U.S. Supreme Court case Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores in 2014. The Court ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby, allowing some private businesses to deny insurance coverage of birth control because of their personal religious beliefs under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). Setting a troubling precedent that could have profound impacts on access to appropriate healthcare for the LGBT community, the Court held for the first time that a for-profit closely held corporation could be recognized as a “person” under RFRA.
Rubio signed onto an amicus brief in support of Hobby Lobby and has been a staunch advocate for legislation that would allow religious-based discrimination. He supports the so-called First Amendment Defense Act (FADA), a federal bill which would allow government employees to discriminate against LGBT people, and the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act, which would block adoptions and foster care, all under the guise of religious liberty. He’s even vowed to appoint both an Attorney General and Supreme Court justice who would defend the right of people like Kim Davis to discriminate.
This has been a pillar of his campaign, but unfortunately for Rubio, the majority of Americans don’t agree.
Polling released by the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute involving more than 42,000 interviews in all 50 states found little support for so-called “religious refusal” bills that would allow a small business owner to deny service to LGBT people for religious reasons. Only 35 percent supported such a bill while 59 percent opposed. Even in his home state of Florida, 70 percent of respondents were opposed to such bills.
And HRC’s poll in September also found that 60 percent of Americans would be less likely to support a candidate for President who would allow government officials to refuse service to LGBT people based on their personal religious beliefs.
Ahead of tonight’s debate catch up on where Rubio and all the other candidates LGBT issues at: www.hrc.org/
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