Human Rights Campaign announces national call to action on ENDA

by Rhonda J Mangus | November 13, 2009 at 06:33 am

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The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has announced a national call to action on ENDA. The call came after the Human Rights Campaign confirmed the Committee on Education and Labor will vote on Wednesday, November 18, 2009, at 10:00 a.m. on legislation to end the widespread practice of employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 3017), introduced by Reps. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), would prohibit employment discrimination, preferential treatment, and retaliation on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity by employers with 15 or more employees.

The Human Rights Campaign announced it is extending the grassroots "No Excuses" campaign to increase constituent contact with Congress and raise awareness of the website: www.PassENDANow.org.

We launched a national action alert this week to grassroots members and supporters urging them to contact Congress and express their support for a fully-inclusive ENDA. HRC also plans to release details next week on its participation of a national call-in day organized by a coalition of groups urging members and supporters to call the Congressional switchboard in support of ENDA.

Meanwhile, HRC members and supporters have been overwhelmingly responsive this week to the organization’s national call to action on ENDA by sending off more than 62,000 emails or letters to members of Congress and newspapers urging for swift passage.

Eariler this month, The United States Department of Justice provided testimony on ENDA.

Thomas E. Perez, head of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, testified before a Senate committee that the Obama Administration supports ENDA.

He said, “The Administration strongly supports fully-inclusive legislation that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.”

In June 2008, it was announced The United States Department of Justice revised its EEO Policy under United States Attorney General Michael Mukasey who is credited with revising damaging policies created by previous Bush administration attorney general John Ashcroft and continued by attorney general Alberto Gonzales, who prevented GLBT employees of the Department of Justice from holding 'Pride' events at the department.

Mukasey revised the Department of Justice's Equal Employment Opportunity Policy in January. The new policy bars discrimination in the department against gays, allowing the Department of Justice Pride (DOJ Pride), the association for gay employees, to hold its first Pride event in five years.

Currently, it is legal to discriminate in the workplace based on sexual orientation in 29 states and to discriminate based on gender identity in 38 states. Readers can view a map of the states online, here.

Read related stories at NowPublic Sexuality Special News Coverage

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Uwe Paschen

at 06:38 on November 13th, 2009

"In 29 states, it’s still legal to fire
someone solely because they’re lesbian, gay, or bisexual; in 38 states it is legal to fire someone solely for being transgender."
I did not know that this was the case still in some of the U.S. states, well actually in most Sates.

Rhonda J Mangus

at 06:45 on November 13th, 2009

Now you know:)! Thank you, Paschen, for reading, commenting, and for the recommendation!

Uwe Paschen

at 06:54 on November 13th, 2009

It is rather surprising though. In the EU this would not stand a chance against the charter of fundamental rights.

Even though not every country in the EU has a liberal view, still if a case would be taken to court the employer be fined and would have to make amends to the employe.

Rhonda J Mangus

at 07:07 on November 13th, 2009

Unfortunately, according to the EU Discrimination against gays isn't abating. It is, however, tireless in its efforts to bring these matters to the forefront. And, yes, LGBT need to bring legal action at the highest level -- international!

Uwe Paschen

at 07:12 on November 13th, 2009

I do agree that LGBT are still subject to discrimination in several EU countries. However, the charter is rather clear, that this can not be allowed.

The problem is to enforce the charter of basic rights and this can only be done through the courts, wish is a long and expensive process.

Rhonda J Mangus

at 07:25 on November 13th, 2009

A very long and expensive process, no doubt. Nevertheless, people need to know law at the International level is available to them, should they so choose. International law, if I am not mistaken super-cedes domestic law -- where there is a will, there is a way:)!