Marco Rubio Just Voted Against Protecting LGBT Homeless Youth

The Republican presidential candidates continue to make a strong case that no LGBT American nor any loving and caring family member or friend of LGBT individuals should even remotely consider voting Republican.  There seems to be little limit to how low these "family values" Republicans will go in order to totally prostitute themselves to the foul fundamentalist Christian element of the GOP base that seemingly sets the party position on social issues, particularly the continuation of anti-gay discrimination and harming gay Americans whenever possible.  The latest example is the sex trafficking bill just voted on in the U.S. Senate.  Marco Rubio - who at this point makes a tawdry whore look virtuous - just voted against a provision that would have protected homeless LGBT youth.  Meanwhile, Rubio blathers about how important "Christian values" are to him.  Can someone get me a vomit bag?  The New Civil Rights Movement looks at Rubio's disgusting vote.  Here are highlights:

As much of the nation knows, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been holding hostage a vote to confirm Loretta Lynch as the next attorney general of the United States. The Senate Majority Leader's bargaining chip for the past six months has been an important anti-human trafficking bill that had bipartisan support, until Republicans snuck anti-abortion language into the legislation.

Minutes ago, the anti-trafficking bill passed, 99-0, but not before the Senate voted on several amendments to the bill.

One bipartisan amendment, introduced by Democratic Senator Pat Leahy and Republican Senator Susan Collins would have added language banning discrimination against LGBT homeless youth.

"A recent study found that 1 in 4 homeless youth have been victims of sex trafficking, or traded sex for survival needs, such as food or a place to sleep," Sen. Leahy said in a statement before today's vote. "The study also found that 50 percent of homeless youth had been solicited for sex by an adult within 48 hours of leaving home. Let me say that again: half of these homeless kids were solicited for sex by an adult within the first two days of leaving home.  These kids – some as young as 12, 13, 14 years old - have nowhere to go, but we can work to make sure they have a safe place to go. That is what our amendment does."

Earlier this afternoon, the Senate voted down the Leahy-Collins Amendment to protect runaway homeless youth, SA 290, by a narrow margin: 56-43. 60 votes were needed for it to pass. It needed just four more.

Among those voting for the amendment that would have protected homeless youth and LGBT homeless youth were 44 Democrats – no Democrat voted against the amendment – along with both Independent Senators, Bernie Sanders and Angus King, and ten Republicans including GOP presidential candidate Rand Paul, whose anti-LGBT views are well documented.

Voting against the amendment were 43 Republican Senators, including U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, whose anti-LGBT views are also well-documented.

"All life is worthy of protection, and all life enjoys God’s love," Rubio claims on his presidential campaign website. "I have a record of supporting pro-life policies, and will continue to do so in public and private life." He adds, "I believe that as a nation we must always come down on the side of life. We must speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves." 

Really?  Who is speaking for LGBT homeless youth?

Like most Christofascists and their political whores in the GOP, Rubio claims to honor and follow the Gospel message, but his actions show that it is all a lie.  He's a bad as the Pharisees derided by Christ in the Gospels.   Rubio and those like him are why I generally no longer call myself a Christians - under no circumstances do I want to be lumped with these utter foul and hypocritical people.