John Oliver brilliantly argued for LGBT equality in Last Week Tonight
John Oliver has again used his show to call for LGBT equality across the US.
Speaking on last night’s episode of Last Week Tonight, host John Oliver explained the variety of ways in which LGBT people in the United States still do not have equal civil rights, before demanding the federal government take action.
Last Week Tonight has previously focussed upon a variety of contemporary LGBT issues, such as the now defunct Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Act.
Oliver last night highlighted that the Supreme Court’s ruling that gay couples have the right to get married is only one step along the road to achieve total equality for America’s LGBT community.
The host also discussed the fact that discrimination based solely upon a person’s sexual orientation is legal in 31 states across America.
Despite a recent poll showing that 71% of Americans believe employment discrimination to be illegal, examples were given of recent discrimination against LGBT people in terms of employment, housing and refusal of service.
Oliver calls for the federal government to implement a bill extending basic civil rights to the LGBT community across all 50 US States. After Last Week Tonight contacted all the current presidential candidates asking “Would you support passage of federal law or laws that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, specifically in the areas of employment, housing, public accommodation and access to credit”, however, only 3 candidates confirmed their support.
Such a bill would hopefully bring the legal abuses of LGBT people to an end and symbolize further progress for America’s gay community.
View Last Week Tonight’s full ‘LGBT Discrimination’ segment below:
