Lincoln Chafee: “I believe the matter before the Senate is a very simple one: Whether or not sexual orientation is a factor that should…”

“I believe the matter before the Senate is a very simple one: Whether or not sexual orientation is a factor that should be considered in employment decisions. In my view, the answer is clear. The only factor that should be considered in the workplace is the ability of an employee or potential employee to do the job at hand. Since sexual orientation, like race or ethnicity, has nothing to do with job ability, it seems to me it has no place as a basis for discrimination. There is nothing particularly radical about this proposition, Mr. President. It is a singularly American belief that each and every person shall be judged not on unrelated factors such as color or gender but on their merits. In the workplace, that translates to an individual's job skills and capabilities. To judge a person otherwise, I believe, goes against the grain of what this whole country stands for. As Barry Goldwater recently noted, 'job discrimination against gays or anybody else is contrary to each of our founding principles.'”