Anti-LGBTQ+ Sen. Ben Sasse Met With Protests Over Fla. University Job
Days after a search committee recommended U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, a Republican from Nebraska, become the next University of Florida president, pro-LGBTQ+ rights protesters shut down a town hall with the senator on campus.Student protesters interrupted a question-and-answer session at the university's campus in Gainsville, where the first inquiry the Republican fielded involved his record opposing marriage equality.
Sasse said he understands Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 Supreme Court ruling in favor of marriage equality, is the “law of the land,” according to the Hill. “Every person has immeasurable worth and dignity, and we need to create a community of inclusion and respect and trust where people feel heard and appreciated and cherished,” Sasse said.However, protesters noted Sasse’s record in the Senate doesn’t line up with that sudden embrace of inclusivity.UF junior Leyka Rumalla documented Sasse’s history of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and votes in a Change.org petition opposing his selection as UF president.
Sasse released a statement criticizing the Obergefell decision in 2015. “Marriage brings a wife and a husband together so their children can have a mom and a dad,” he said then.
Sasse notably has not evolved since. He opposes the Respect For Marriage Act that passed the House in 2022. He also publicly sided with baseball commentator Curt Schilling after the ex-Red Sox pitcher shared a meme opposing bathroom access for transgender individuals.
