Today I risked arrest for the first time in my life. Risking arrest isn’t something I ever imagined myself doing, but it is something I felt needed to be done. Why did I do this? Well, Senator Marco Rubio has recently said some very harmful things about the LGBT community. When asked recently about the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, he first said that he hasn’t read the bill, and then immediately went on to say that he is “not for any special protections based on orientation”. He has also said that if anything was included in the immigration reform bill that gives legal protections to gay couples, he will walk away from the legislation.Let’s get this straight. Senator Rubio, the man who supposedly wants to be president, has no problem with people being fired because of who they are or who they love, and is willing to turn his back on 11 million immigrants and the bill he has worked so hard on, just to spite gay couples?  Is this what you call a leader?
The Senator is out of touch with Floridians and with Americans. Recent polls show that 67% of Floridians believe that our immigration system should keep families together, regardless of their sexual orientation. Nationwide, 73% of Americans believe that it should be against the law to fire a person solely because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The reality is that, in states like Florida, people can be fired for these very reasons — and, when this happens, we have absolutely no legal recourse.
I am fortunate enough to work for a company with a great non-discrimination policy, one that includes LGBT people. I also am fortunate in that I was born in this great country, as was my partner of nearly 20 years. I have, in the past, been fired from a job because of anti-gay bias. It is an ugly, hurtful thing to experience, and I wouldn’t wish it on anybody (even Senator Rubio). I have friends who have experienced this as well, some very recently. Some of my dearest friends are in same-sex binational relationships, meaning one person is a United States citizen and the other is not. These couples, even if legally married in a state that allows it, are not allowed to sponsor a spouse or partner for immigration in the way a heterosexual couple could. The stories I have heard of families ripped apart when someone has to leave the country and re-enter are gut-wrenching. Even worse are the stories I hear every day of families ripped apart due to deportations.
Today, some friends and I entered Senator Rubio’s Tampa office to request that he apologize to the LGBT community, and that he step up as a leader and support our community. We are his constituents, and we deserve better treatment than this. Our plea fell on deaf ears with his staff.  But instead of walking out of the building without resolution, we chose to sit down — refusing to leave the office until we heard the apology. No apology came. Instead of supporting our community, the Senator’s staff responded by having police remove us from the office in handcuffs. I stood up today for those who live in fear in the workplace, hiding who they are and unable to talk about their lives for fear of losing their jobs.  I stood up today for those couples who live in fear of being ripped apart by an unjust immigration system, and for the 11 million undocumented immigrants who Marco Rubio has turned his back on.
GetEQUAL’s mission statement is to empower the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community and our allies to take bold action to demand full legal and social equality, and to hold accountable those who stand in the way. Senator Rubio clearly falls into the latter group. This doesn’t end with today’s action; we are building a movement and growing stronger every day. I am confident that full equality in all matters governed by federal law is something we will see in the near future, but it is going to take a lot more hands on deck. Are you with us?
Senator Rubio’s photo is from his Facebook page.
