Prominent Republican Says Women Should Earn Less In Order To Find Husbands

As Democrats and Republicans vie for women's votes in the upcoming Midterm elections, one GOP mouthpiece isn't doing the party any favors.

Instead, Phyllis Schlafly, founder of the Eagle Forum, known for her opposition of the Equal Rights Amendment and leadership role in the Moral Majority, has taken a sort of funny stance on the wage gap issue that's captivating national attention.

In a recent opinion piece in the Christian Post, Schlafly argues that the current pay gap isn't wide enough. No — women should be paid even less so that they can find suitable husbands.

"While women prefer to HAVE a higher-earning partner, men generally prefer to BE the higher-earning partner in a relationship. This simple but profound difference between the sexes has powerful consequences for the so-called pay gap.

"Suppose the pay gap between men and women were magically eliminated. If that happened, simple arithmetic suggests that half of women would be unable to find what they regard as a suitable mate."

If these are the "traditional values" that conservatives pride themselves on, then no thank you; I still want no part of it.

It's utterly ridiculous to argue that women shouldn't make the equal and fair compensation that they deserve in order to make dating "easier." She continues,

"The best way to improve economic prospects for women is to improve job prospects for the men in their lives, even if that means increasing the so-called pay gap."

It's entirely perverse logic to state that women will stand to gain financially in the longterm (with husbands being the major contributors to family cash flow) if they make less now.

Instead of manipulating wages to help with husband-hunting, we should be encouraging women to be financially independent and knowledgeable.

And this can only truly happen if women have the same opportunities as men — both in terms of mobility in workplace placement, and in payment for their contributions to a company.

via Think Progress, Photo Credit: Getty Images