-->UPDATE (11/6) 365gay.com says that HRC, NAACP, AFSCME and others have submitted the following very disappointing letter (pdf) to Congress. Tuesday, however, it appeared there are not the votes to pass an all inclusive version of ENDA and in an open letter to members of Congress, HRC, the NAACP, the National Education Association, the National Employment Lawyers Association, the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the American Federation of State, County, Municipal Employees and a number of other groups said they would support ENDA without gender identity. So, HRC has revealed its duplicity. They have been saying all along that they support a fully inclusive ENDA. Apparently it is the same way Rep Frank supports it - in theory but not in practice. The vote has apparently been postponed again until later this week.
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Congress is expected to vote on ENDA on Tuesday, November 6th.
URGE YOUR CONGRESS MEMBERS TO LISTEN TO THE LGBT COMMUNITY AND SUPPORT ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LEGISLATION THAT INCLUDES GENDER IDENTITY.
HR 3685 is the version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) to be voted on Tuesday. It bans discrimination based on sexual orientation but NOT gender identity. It also includes a far more sweeping religious exemption than seen in any other civil rights legislation of this kind.
Please contact your representative to let him/her know that the House should only consider a version of ENDA that includes gender identity. Sure, progress is often incremental. But now is the time for the LGBT-A community to say loudly that we will not be divided.
Tens of thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and our allies have contacted our members of Congress to urge them to enact anti-discrimination legislation that includes gender identity. Please stand united with us and over 355 organizations at the local, state, and national levels who support an inclusive ENDA.
Call your US Rep at 202-224-3121 or send them an email by clicking here (n.b. calls are MUCH more effective).
For background info, past BMG diaries here and here. Info from UnitedENDA here and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force here. H/t Equal Rights Washington. |
