Watch Anderson Cooper Take On Arizona Senator Who Backed Anti-Gay Bill

By Night Editor  |  February 26, 2014 | 2:00am
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Like you and everyone else who is sane, Anderson Cooper is done with all these dumb anti-gay “religious freedom” bills that are cropping up in a couple of states. Like, seriously fucking done with them.

The shitty anti-gay bill in Arizona already has legislators who once supported it backtracking like crazy to escape its web of dumbfuckery. However, there’s still more than a few who think this bill is a great idea. Like Arizona State Senator Al Melvin, who seemed to be trying to push forward a GOP talking point that bill wasn’t all that bad (HAHAHAHA), see, it was just the media that made it seem really awful for explaining to the public how the bill would make it legal for businesses to refuse services to gay patrons. Melvin said the opposition from the public was because of the “media frenzy” around the bill.

“You’re seriously blaming the media on this?” Cooper said. “Oh, come on!” Exactly. Nice try, dude. No, the “media frenzy” is just a regular, plain-ole’ “what the fuck is going on in this country!!!” frenzy that comes about WHEN YOU TRY TO PASS SHITTY BILLS. The media takes the ball and runs with it. But you—the assholes who write lousy laws like this—are responsible for the “frenzy” when the public finds out just how awful what you’re trying to do is.

The GOP was framing this bill as a “religious freedom” bill. OK, Cooper tried to go along with this reasoning, and asked tMelvin for a specific example of anyone being discriminated against based on their religion that would warrant this bill. CUE CRICKETS. Melvin ducked that question, claiming the bill is “preemptive.”

This answer sort of makes sense when you find out Melvin also doesn’t think people in Arizona don’t discriminate against anyone. Ever. At all. How convenient for this old white dude not to notice any discrimination going on anywhere around him:

Cooper held Melvin’s feet to the fire over whether such a
bill would also allow Catholics to discriminate against divorced people,
and Melvin deadpanned, “With all due respect, sir, I don’t know of
anybody in Arizona who would discriminate against another human being.”
“Really?! Nobody?!” Cooper exclaimed. “I know people in New York who
discriminate. Really? There’s nobody? Discrimination doesn’t exist in
Arizona?”
“Well, maybe you ought to move to Arizona, we’re more people friendly here apparently.” Melvin countered.
“If somebody is fired because they’re gay or lesbian in your state, is that discrimination?” Cooper fired back. Melvin, clearly thrown off by the question, paused, and nervously fought to regain his composure.

“I…don’t know of anybody that discriminates in our state,” Melvin responded. “I know you’re trying to set me up, and I’m not going to
stand for it, sir.”

I’m not going to stand for it. Sure, he didn’t stand for it! He sat down in a comfortable seat and voted for this stupid bill.

Watch the fun here:

Image via Getty Images.

 
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