Inclusive ENDA: Passage is Essential
The first Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) bill that would create a federal law prohibiting workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation was introduced into Congress fifteen years ago. Fifteen years feels like a very long time given the progress that has been made generally on LGBT social issues and understanding during that same time span.
Today, a version of that same bill – but one that expands the prohibitions to include gender identity discrimination as well as sexual orientation discrimination – is again being introduced. Its passage is essential. In the last year, GLAD’s InfoLine received nearly 250 calls from people who faced some form of discrimination in employment. The bottom line is that if people cannot work, they cannot take care of the most basic needs for themselves and their families.
It is simply remarkable to me that in 2009, we still have to make the case for the most basic employment protections to be written into out nation’s laws. And yet we do. Those unfamiliar with law often find it surprising to learn that in most states, discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people is perfectly legal. In New England, we have made much progress. Of the 6 New England states where GLAD focuses our work, all have sexual orientation discrimination prohibitions written into state law and half have gender identity discrimination prohibitions. Much work remains to be done legislatively in Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts (read an update here).
Two years ago (2007) marked the first time that a federal bill was introduced that included both sexual orientation and gender identity employment prohibitions. Its introduction reflected a tremendous amount of collaborative work among legal and political groups to both demonstrate the need and the viability of the approach. The subsequent stripping of the bill of the gender identity provision made the “trans” part of the bill a focus of the community’s discussion and, to the extent there can be any silver lining of that debacle, what emerged was broad community consensus for a unified approach and solution. What lies ahead is the hard work involved in passing a law.
It is my hope and wish that the public discussion about an inclusive ENDA is well behind us. I have no idea whether or not we had to go through that process or if there was a way it could have been avoided. Regardless, what is clear is that much basic work remains to be done to advance an anti-discrimination law that protects queer people whether L, G, B, or T.
Help Ensure ENDA Becomes Law
You can help build momentum for the bill’s passage by contacting your legislator today and asking him or her to become a cosponsor. Becoming a cosponsor shows that the representative will stand firm with our community in support of this important legislation.
- Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and have them connect you to your representative (based on your zip code)
- Once you’ve made your call, reiterate your support with an email
- Set up a meeting for you and other community members to visit with your representative in his or her home district office during the August recess. You can find contact information for your representative here
- For talking points and tips on approaching your legislator, visit www.unitedenda.org
- Forward this information to your friends, families, and colleagues across the country, and ask them to contact their legislators, too.