John Oliver calls on federal government to end LGBT discrimination
John Oliver calls on federal government to end LGBT discrimination
The Supreme Court’s ruling on gay marriage was a historic milestone, but it didn’t put an end to discrimination against same-sex couples.
On HBO’s “Last Week Tonight” Sunday, John Oliver called on the federal government to extend basic civil rights protections to the LGBT community because, as he put it, “There are still a number of ways to ruin a gay honeymoon.”
In many states, Oliver noted, same-sex couples can get married and return to work only to find they’ve lost their jobs or housing because of it.
“That’s clearly terrible,” he said. “The only possible reason you should be fired from your job after your wedding is if your theme was ‘Stolen Office Supplies.’”
But discriminating against gay people is “surprisingly legal,” Oliver said. “In 31 states, people are at risk of being fired, evicted or refused service just because they are gay.”
“Just look at Arkansas right now,” he continued. “Not only do they not have any anti-discrimination ordinances, earlier this year they actually passed an anti-anti-discrimination ordinance that prevents any city or county from extending civil rights protections to gay people.”
Oliver pointed to the recent Republican presidential debate — in which Ohio Gov. John Kasich received applause for saying he had attended a friend’s same-sex wedding — as a hopeful sign.
“It’s not just Kasich,” Oliver said. “Jeb Bush, Rick Perry, Bobby Jindal and Marco Rubio have all said they would attend a gay wedding if they were invited — which I can only imagine is terrible news for any of their gay acquaintances who invited them only on the assumption that they would decline to attend and send a very expensive gift instead. “Well, I didn’t think he would say yes, did I, Mark? Now which of your friends wants to sit with Bobby Jindal?’”
Oliver, the former “Daily Show” correspondent, has made a point of taking the federal government to task on his show.
On last week’s “Last Week Tonight,” Oliver explored the business of televangelists and their tax-exempt status, noting the IRS conducted just three church audits from 2013 to 2014 after the agency had suspended them entirely from 2009 to 2013. Inspired, Oliver created a fake church, Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption, asking viewers to donate.
Oliver’s “church” was subsequently inundated with donations.
