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Related articles
- Senate Committee to Vote on ENDA (newamericamedia.org)
Tag Archives: ENDA
ENDA is Up – Again
What to do about ENDA? The Employment Non-Discrimination Act is up for committee hearing next week – again. It will likely pass out of committee on July 10, as all the committee dems (12) are sponsors and even one Republican is on board. We’ve been here before folks. It’s a long, hard road to pass a bill – think, “There’s a bill up on Capitol Hill.”
ENDA, originally introduced in 2007 by Sen. Ted Kennedy, has never enjoyed significant congressional support, however. And nothing appears to be much different in that old house. So, the efficacy and life of ENDA seems still doomed to be stalled in the Senate chute.
Ironically, ENDA is viewed by some as more of a transgender bill, largely because trans women have represented the historical sticking point – think Barney Frank. Yet, the twist here, is that trans people represent a class that has at least some discrimination protection under law since the EEOC decided Macy v. Holder in May, 2012 (recognizing transgender discrimination as a type of gender discrimination under Title VII). Sadly, if you are gay, lesbian or bi, you can still be fired or denied housing and public accommodation merely because it is so in states that offer no state or local protection. If you are transgender and you are fired you at least have a federal remedy.
Yes, ENDA is about LGBT Equality!!! So, what can we do to get this law passed? Some have suggested re-branding:
Following up on that bit of news, Michelangelo Signorile quotes former Bilerico editor Michael Crawford talking his ideas on how to get ENDA actually passed: rebrand it. I couldn’t agree with him more. Ditching the name ENDA and expanding the scope of the legislation would give LGBT federal nondiscrimination legislation some nice forward momentum.
‘When we talk about it as discrimination, it’s about bad things that are happening vs. reframing in a more aspirational way, framing it as freedom to work,’ he explained. ‘Everyone wants to be able to work and take care of their families. Framing it as something the general public can understand and connect to.’…
~ Filed By Bil Browning, Bilerico, 7/03/2013.
Good idea! But, regardless of how the law is framed, now is the time for all people concerned about LGBT Equality to get behind it.
I have mentioned before that I am concerned about the post-marriage victory let down amongst our movement. Will it be, or will we seize upon the momentum we seem to have accumulated over the last few years and extend it beyond marriage equality? I hope it will be the latter for the sake of those who have lost or been denied employment or associated benefits. And I can think of several people I know right off the top of my head who have endured these struggles right here in Southwest Montana. I can only imagine what it is like in larger urban areas of the country.
So, here’ my pitch: Don’t let down! Don’t stop! All the same cliches about equality and justice not being so until they are so for all remain true and unfulfilled. Please do your part to help pass ENDA.
Same Sex Sunday 4/3/11
I interviewed Jim and Tammy Fay Bakker’s son, Jay Bakker about his new book Fall to Grace. Bakker discussed how growing up in the Bakker house helped him discover empathy for LGBT people later in life. It was a really good visit and I think you’ll enjoy it.
Then host Joe Mirabella and our round table discussed the need for more information about the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities as outlined in a new study by the Institutes of Medicine. They discussed privacy concerns about reporting one’s sexual orientation or gender identity on medical records, a potential government mandate to include sexual orientation and gender identity in government funded research- and more.
Our panel also addressed concerns about last week’s introduction of ENDA and the roller coaster ride caused by the immigration back and forth for bi-national couples.
Finally, gay Republican candidate for president Fred Karger won the first straw poll in New Hampshire. What does this mean for the republican presidential campaign season? Will Karger fare better than some expected?
Our panel this weekend included:
Co-chair for Americans for Democratic Action’s LGBT task force, Jim Levin
Co-chair of the Fenway Institute, Judy Bradford
Spokesperson for the Log Cabin Republicans, Casey Pick
Managing Director of the Raw Story, Michael Rogers
Same Sex Sunday, 3/27/11
President Obama has had his critics from within the LGBTQ community, but will he go down as the hero of same-sex binational American couples? We’ve already discussed the Justice Department’s decision to no longer defend the Constitutionality of the so-called ‘Defense of Marriage Acts’ in the courts, but this week one of America’s top immigration attorneys for same-sex couples won a delay in a deportation case that may have far reaching effects for a long time to come.
Lavi Soloway returns to the interview chair this week to discuss his legally married clients Monica Alcota and Cristina Ojeda; their win in immigration court, and why the prosecutor and the judge both agreed with Soloway over the need for delay in light of new DOMA developments.
However, that’s not all. Two immigration districts have put all cases on hold involving legally married same-sex binational couples. Are we about to see a total halt to the break-up of binational families based on DOMA’s discrimination?
We’ll takle this on our round table as well as get the skinny on state-wide developments, strategies on ENDA, and a whole lot more. Find out the who and the what and give it a listen after the jump.
Once again, our brilliant round table breaks down the news of the week:
- Relationship recognition news from Colorado to Rhode Island, and discrimination in Indiana
- The reintroduction of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and how we can use a Republican-controlled House of Representatives to build for victory
- The President’s promise to create an LGBTQ watchdog at the Organization of American States with his Brazilian counterpart
- Polls and reports on the Americans and their gays, and the DOJ finds the New Orleans Police Department been harassing residents based on their gender identity and sexual orientation–what does it mean that the FBI and DOJ have come to our aid?
- And, the first Republican to file with the FEC to run for president is… gay?
Joining us this week are:
- Executive Directors of Catholics for Equality, Phil Attey
- Senior Political Writer at MetroWeekly in DC Chris Geidner
- Co-Founder Swish Sue Sena and
- State Legislative Director at the Human Rights Campaign, Sarah Warbelow
If you’re not subscribed in iTunes yet, you can do so super-quick and super-easily athttp://ituenes.samesexsunday.org/. We’re also on Facebook and on Twitter: @SameSexSunday. ‘Like’ and ‘Follow!’
Email us at info@samesexsunday.org and tell us what you think about the show and about what you’d like to see more of. Join us next week when Joe will be on his own!
From Eternity To Here 