John Oliver Says It's Time To End Discrimination Against Gays
John Oliver says it's time for the federal government to finish the job when it comes to gay rights.
Speaking on HBO's "Last Week Tonight" on Sunday, Oliver pointed out that while gay couples now have the right to get married, they don't have many other rights in much of the nation.
In some cases, they have no rights at all.
Now Oliver is calling on the feds to extend basic civil rights protections to the gay community.
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"States have a checkered history when it comes to civil rights," Oliver said. "Just look at Arkansas right now. Not only do they not have any anti-discrimination ordinances, earlier this year they actually passed an anti-anti-discrimination ordinance that prevents any city or county from extending civil rights protections to gay people."
As Oliver pointed out, that's the opposite of progress.
"It would be like if Apple suddenly introduced the iPhone 7 and it was a flip phone," he said. "That's still not as dumb as the Apple Watch... but it's dumb."
Check it out in the clip above.
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"No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family."
"In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were."
"As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death."
"It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage."
"Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves."
"Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions."
"They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law."
"The Constitution grants them that right. The judgment of the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is reversed."
"It is so ordered."
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.