Idaho GOPer fears gay employees will come "into work in a tutu"

The Idaho GOP is pushing to overturn local ordinances that ban discrimination based on sexual orientation

Published June 18, 2013 5:00PM (EDT)

Idaho Republican Cornel Rasor (Facebook/Cornel-Rasor)
Idaho Republican Cornel Rasor (Facebook/Cornel-Rasor)

As Idaho Republicans push resolutions to get the state Legislature to overturn city ordinances that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, one local GOP official argued that though he would hire a gay man as an employee, he shouldn't have to keep him on if he comes "into work in a tutu."

“I’d hire a gay guy if I thought he was a good worker. But if he comes into work in a tutu … he’s not producing what I want in my office,” said Cornel Rasor, the current chairman of the resolutions committee of the Idaho GOP, according to the Spokesman-Review. “If a guy has a particular predilection and keeps it to himself, that’s fine,” Rasor continued. “But if he wants to use my business as a platform for his lifestyle, why should I have to subsidize that? And that’s what these anti-discrimination laws do.”

From the Spokesman-Review:

Rasor presented the resolution on behalf of a constituent in Bonner County; another similar one was proposed by Idaho County’s GOP central committee, and the two were combined into one. It was approved with little debate at the central committee’s summer meeting over the weekend in McCall.

“Resolved, that the Idaho Republican State Central Committee recommends that our legislators support Idaho’s current anti-discrimination laws and policies and enact a law that would make unenforceable any municipal ordinances that would seek to expand categories of prohibited discrimination beyond current state anti-discrimination laws and policies,” the resolution states.

Via Towleroad.


By Jillian Rayfield

Jillian Rayfield is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on politics. Follow her on Twitter at @jillrayfield or email her at jrayfield@salon.com.

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Anti-gay Discrimination Employment Discrimination Idaho Lgbt Rights Republicans