Anti-LGBTQ+ Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said on Tuesday that Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, a gay vaccine expert who recently resigned from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), was too sexual to work for the government. Daskalakis resigned as the head of the CDCs Immunization and Respiratory Diseases division last Wednesday afternoon, accusing the current presidential administration of distorting scientific data at the risk of public health.He should have never had a position in government, Rand recently told reporters. He brags about his lifestyle, you know, this whole idea of bondage and, you know, multiple partners and all that stuff. He brags about that stuff, but hes got no business being in government. Its good riddance. Related Its long past time to acknowledge there are no good Republican politicians Rand says he admires the current president, who has publicly bragged about his penis size, fathered five children from three different women, and been accused of sexual misconduct by at least 28 women. Nevertheless, Rand criticized therisky behavior that [Daskalakis] and his lifestyle involve, ignoring the steps Daskalakis takes to reduce risk, which include vaccines.Rand also called Daskalakis a guy that is so far out of the mainstream, adding, I think most people in America would discount his opinion because of the things he said in the past. He does not represent the mainstream of anything in America. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Despite Rands claims, an estimated 20% to 46.8% of adults participate in kink. Additionally, anestimated 4% to 5%of people living in the United States participate in some form of consensual non-monogamy, andan estimated 20% have at least attempted some kind of consensual non-monogamy at some point.Non-monogamous people may hide their actions for fear of discrimination or harassment. Rands comment illustrates the sort of workplace harassment and stigmatization faced by non-monogamous people. Rand made his comments while criticizing Daskalakiss advisement that infants be vaccinated against Hepatitis B, a blood-borne infection that can thrive outside the body for a week. The infection, if contracted during infancy, has a 90% chance of becoming a chronic, lifelong condition that can lead to fatal liver disease, cirrhosis, or liver cancer.Rand has made transphobic comments and campaign ads and suggested that Christian clerks may have the legal right to deny marriage licenses to LGBTQ+ people.Rands isnt the only one making anti-gay comments about Daskalakis. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) called him a BDSM Satan worshipper on CNN last Sunday. Daskalakis has a large tattoo of Jesus Christ on his torso, an emblem of his Greek Orthodox Christian upbringing. He has also explicitly said that he is not a Satanist, joking, I wish I were that interesting.Demetre Daskalakis | CDC portrait Daskalakis, a 51-year-old medical professional, helped lead aggressive outreach to the LGBTQ+ community during the COVID-19 and MPOX epidemics. He served as director of the CDCs Division of HIV and AIDS Prevention under President Joe Biden.Hes also been a target of the far-right for his public embrace of the gay community and photos showing his tattoos and leather gear. Public health is not merely about the health of the individual, Daskalakis wrote in his resignation letter, but it is about the health of the community, the nation, the world. The nations health security is at risk and is in the hands of people focusing on ideological self-interest.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.