Steve King: Gays Should Not Make Sexuality Public At Work

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) has some advice for gays facing workplace discrimination: keep your sexual orientation a secret.

"You have private sector businesses here and they need to have freedom to operate," he said in an interview with ThinkProgress. "In the first place, I would think that unless someone makes their sexuality public, it’s not anybody’s business, so neither is it our business to tell an employer who to hire. He won’t know who to discriminate against in the first place."

When asked whether it should be legal for business to discriminate against gays in hiring practices, King replied, "How do you know someone’s sexual orientation?"

King has been talking this way for years. In 2010 he spoke out against legislation designed to prohibit workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, calling it a violation of employers' rights to hire and fire freely. He laid out a scenario that demonstrated his idea of a fair 'don't ask, don't tell' workplace policy:

And [State Sen. Jerry Behn] said, "let me ask you a question. Am I heterosexual or am I homosexual?" And they looked him up and down, actually they should have known, but they said, "We don't know." And he said, "Exactly, my point. If you don't project it, if you don't advertise it, how would anyone know to discriminate against you?" And that's at the basis of this. So if people wear their sexuality on their sleeve and then they want to bring litigation against someone that they would point their finger at and say, "You discriminate."

Also on HuffPost:

Comments

[DMSmith]

12:58 PM on 09/11/2012

Twenty years ago my boss took me to his office and told me not to let my sexuality be known at work. I suggested he do the same. He smiled condescendingly and agreed. When I left his office, I gathered up the 11 framed photos of his wife and children and took them to his secretary - suggesting she wrap them in an unmarked brown paper bundle and mail them to his home.
I then went to HR and resigned.
I've been self-employed since!!

[d porter]

05:58 PM on 09/10/2012

Well when Heterosexuals can keep their sexuality out of the work place I will be happy to do the same.

Good Luck On That....

[tallgirlkelly96]

09:09 PM on 07/22/2012

It may not come up in the interview. But, while working, you know when straight people are straight when they share stories, pictures of girlfriends, boyfriends, wives, husbands, etc. If someone gay were to do the same thing.... and then be discriminated against, that is where the problem lies. And this guy must not have been around many gays. Although not all gay people are obviously gay, please tell me that anyone would think that Richard Simmons or Martina Navratilova were meant to be with partners of the opposite sex.

[Tia Nadiezja]

07:24 PM on 04/20/2012

"How do you know someone's sexual orientation?" They tell stories about home. I see straight people talking about their significant others at work constantly - if I were working for a company where homosexuals had to worry about discrimination (I don't, and, thankfully, live in a place where I have the option of avoiding working for people who discriminate), any homosexuals would be denied the ability to talk about their home lives. That's sad, and it's wrong, and that Rep. King doesn't see that shows just how blind he is.

[scythus]

09:03 PM on 04/09/2012

"... people wear their sexuality on their sleeve and then they want to bring litigation against someone ..." Yeah right, and a woman in a mini skirt wants to go out and file some rape charges too............does he even hear what's coming out of his mouth?

[Matthew Breslin]

04:05 PM on 04/09/2012

Make you a deal, Stevie: afford equal rights to gay and lesbian couples across the board, no exceptions and they'll leave you alone.

[TruthBSaid]

03:49 PM on 04/07/2012

OK, I'll go along with gays not revealing their sexuality at work if heterosexuals also don't reveal theirs. References to the other half should be couched in the word "spouse." Be careful when talking about in-laws. Always say "their" or "they" instead of the appropriate pronoun. Example: "Today is my spouse's birthday. I think I'll take my spouse to a movie because my spouse said that's what they wanted."

Oh, and be sure not to let your spouse show up at work and NEVER take a co-worker to your house!

[scythus]

08:27 PM on 04/09/2012

No emergency phone calls either! a receptionist may determine gender from voice you never know..............

[Justthefacts425]

06:52 AM on 04/07/2012

Lets be fair. If I can't project that I am a lesbian(which is kinda hard because I have a short hair cut, don't wear make up, polish my nails, and all those other feminine things because I don't want to) then these straight folks need to stop projecting that they are straight. Seems fair to me!!

[scythus]

08:59 PM on 04/09/2012

But...but I like my goatee and tats. I don't wanna wear makeup any more than you do and I'm okay with the fact that you don't want to. I'm also cool with the fact that you aren't attracted to guys (I'm not either) seems like we have alot in common. Let's not be fair, let's be rude and tell King to esss tiii ehff u then we can all just dress and act as we please like regular people.............

[werewolf90210]

09:25 PM on 04/06/2012

What an ignoramus....and for that matter, look who is standing by him in that photo. Double the ignorance!

[herewegoagain2]

06:45 PM on 04/06/2012

This advice worked for Marcus, remember him?

[Wholly Guacamole]

05:20 PM on 04/06/2012

"... people wear their sexuality on their sleeve and then they want to bring litigation against someone ..."

Of course, heterosexuals never do this. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

[DeHoll53]

03:59 PM on 04/06/2012

This is unfortunately still a country where many workers from multicultural families are reluctant to put photos of their spouses and children on their desks. If two people are in a committed relationship, they should not face censure scrutiny or judgment of any type. If they have to hide their commitment to each other that is not their problem but society's. I would not think of hiding my wedding ring because some coworker or client was a bit short on tolerance. Bigotry is wrong and as long as we adapt to it, and behave in ways that make less w
aves, we give it a sense of legitimacy it should not have in 21st century America.

[truth be told again]

01:46 PM on 04/06/2012

"In the first place, I would think that unless someone makes their sexuality public, it’s not anybody’s business, so neither is it our business to tell an employer who to hire. He won’t know who to discriminate against in the first place."

Except, of course, when it comes time to sit down with the HR people and designate your spouse as your beneficiary for all the company health-care, pensions, etc. What would you have us do, Mr. King? LIE about ourselves? Isn't that a seeyun anymore?

[truth be told again]

01:43 PM on 04/06/2012

Dear Mr. King,

Gays will keep their sexuality private at work when you betterosexuals do. You can go first. We'll wait, 'cuz I'm thinking that ain't ever gonna happen.

[scythus]

08:30 PM on 04/09/2012

Nope, never happen cause I'm not gonna hide who I am any more than you are. King should be ashamed of himself to suggest that anyone should have to.

[practiceempathy]

01:35 PM on 04/06/2012

People who hold attitudes like this should be forced to go ONE DAY without letting it be known what their heterosexual orientation is.

No mention of indication of a spouse.

Constant censoring of anecdotes.

In fact, just CONSTANT CENSORING.

No straight person has to live like this. Why should gays?