MSNBC "The Rachel Maddow Show" - Transcript: LGBTQ Rights

Interview

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MADDOW: Congressman David Cicilline of Rhode Island at a press  conference today introducing new legislation that would amend the 1964  Civil Rights Act to protect people from discrimination on the basis of  sexual orientation or gender identity. This is a whole new approach to the  issue of anti-gay and anti-transgender discrimination.  Joining us is the lead sponsor of the bill, Democratic Senator Jeff  Merkley of Oregon.  Senator Merkley, thanks for being here tonight. Appreciate your time.

SEN. JEFF MERKLEY (D), OREGON: Hello. It`s great to be with you. 

MADDOW: So, is part of the challenge of getting something like this  passed, getting support for something like this, that you have to convince  people that it is legal in most states in the country to fire somebody just  for being gay? People don`t believe that discrimination is legal? 

MERKLEY: That is absolutely true. Of course, we understand when our  children say, really, it was illegal or is illegal -- I know my own  daughter couldn`t believe it, but adults don`t believe it either. And, in  fact, we had a reporter from a major outlet today who called and said, it`s  not really true, is it? That you can be thrown out of restaurant, or  denied a rental contract on a house?  Yes, it is. It is true in the majority of states in the country and  it`s not OK. It is time to end discrimination in a comprehensive fashion  and put the end of discrimination for LGBT community on the same foundation  that we have for ethnicity and for race and for gender. 

MADDOW: I am one of the people who, as a member of the gay community  always felt like the nondiscrimination fight should have come first before  marriage and it didn`t. The marriage fight really not only happened but it  won and succeeded beyond anyone else`s dreams. I`m wondering, though, why  the marriage success hasn`t created more political momentum here for  supporting this nondiscrimination clause.  I mean, it seems to me to be less controversial than supporting  people`s equal right to get married. I`m surprised that there are zero  Republicans signed on to the bill so far. 

MERKLEY: Well, you know, it was the case for the long time that we  had zero Republicans on other civil rights measures, but they came on with  time. And this is a whole set of issues. And I want to think the best of  this, that they want time to consider it, to look at the details. I think they will conclude -- all of those that supported us on  employment, I think they`ll conclude if it`s wrong for someone to be fired  from their job because they are gay, or lesbian, or bisexual or transsexual, if it`s wrong there, it`s wrong for them to be thrown out of restaurants, it`s wrong for them to be denied a mortgage, it`s wrong for them to be denied the ability to serve on a jury. 

I think that that will carry through. People will start to realize -- yes, you can get married but you don`t have the full measure of dignity, the full measure of respect, the full measure of opportunity, if you can get married and then get fired, get married and be denied rental opportunity or be thrown out of a restaurant. 

So, I think it will help build momentum towards this vision of full equality. 

MADDOW: Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, this is a very simple idea, perhaps radical in its simplicity, but I share your sense that maybe over time, this is sort of thing that could be as bipartisan that 
support of marriage is starting to get outside of elected officials at least. Thank you, sir. Good luck on this.

MERKLEY: You are very welcome. Thank you.

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