House Approves Broad Protections for Gay Workers - Thanks Rep. Frank

[spanone]

~snip~WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 — The House on Wednesday approved a bill granting broad protections against discrimination in the workplace for gay men, lesbians and bisexuals, a measure that supporters praised as the most important civil rights legislation since the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 but that opponents said would result in unnecessary lawsuits.

The bill, the Employment Nondiscrimination Act, is the latest version of legislation that Democrats have pursued since 1974. Representatives Edward I. Koch and Bella Abzug of New York then sought to protect gay men and lesbians with a measure they introduced on the fifth anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, the brawl between gay men and police officers at a bar in Greenwich Village that is widely viewed as the start of the American gay rights movement.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/08/washington/08employ.html?_r=1&hp=&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print

[Red Zelda]

1. And did the gay folks sell out the transgendered folks?

so much for tolerance.

[terrya]

3. Quite frankly, yes they did.

I'm sorry, I like Congressman Frank very much...but he DID sell out the transgendered community with this bill. And the Human Rights Campaign didn't do itself any favors by not pushing for the all inclusive ENDA bill.

It's a foregone conclusion Bush will veto this ENDA or any ENDA bill. We SHOULD do the right thing and include ALL of the GLBT community in this bill.

[Neecy]

6. agreed

I'm glad to see this pass, but it's going nowhere until we get a Democrat in the White House (of course, I thought that about Bill Clinton, too).

I don't want anything for myself, though, that isn't offered to everyone in the community. Excluding transgender was simply wrong.

[MuseRider]

8. I am so angry

that they took out the transgendered community and I fail to understand why or how they could possibly do that and sleep at night.

HRC often pisses me off.

When did doing the right thing just because it was right fall out of fashion?

[NMMNG]

7. Don't blame "the gay folks"

Many of us wanted only the original ENDA, not the bastardized version that only protects GLB people. But bigots must be pandered to.

[Politicub]

12. No, they did not

This bill will add so many necessary layers of protection that we have been denied long enough. It's broad enough to cover trans folks, and removing the specific language may (and it's still a longshot) get the bill passed.

I'm not one for throwing the baby out with the bathwater, and I've given up on seeking perfection in the political arena. And, I'm simply amazed that there may be federal civil rights legislation for LGB's in my lifetime. This is a huge step forward, and the tide will make all boats rise - including for trans folks.

[NightWatcher]

2. why is there not already protection for all workers for all reasons regardless of age, sex, race...

religion, gender preference, eye color, hair color, right handed vs left handed, height, weight, favorite color preference.....


Why cant we defend worker's right against everything besides legitimate reasons for firing? What year is this already?

[maddiejoan]

4. Yes, Thanks Rep Frank.

I'll be waiting under the bus with all the other transgendered people.

[Politicub]

13. You are being selfish

Just because this bill doesn't call you out by name, you would deny the slim chance that there may be federal civil rights legislation based on sexual orientation in our lifetimes? Shame on you.

This bill is so critically important, especially to folks in the less progressive states where there is 0 stage recognition of civil rights for gays.

Just because trans isn't called out by name, it doesn't mean that it won't come later. Look how long its taken for this bill to pass. I hope it survives a veto threat. And, it will give us a win that we can use as we continue to fight for equal right for all.

[maddiejoan]

14. I'm being selfish?

Throwing trannies under the bus in order to get the bill passed was selfish.

YOU are selfish for thinking ENDA as stands is anything but garbage.

without inclusion of "gender expression" anybody transgressing the very subjective definition of gender "norms" will also be thrown under the bus.

Congrats! Now any Gay man or woman who doesn't conform to a very straight vanilla perception of what is male or female will also face discrimination.

You forget that those gays who ARE discriminated against are always the most VISIBLY gay.

[Politicub]

15. Not only selfish, but also a martyr

Please - spare me the drama.

I disagree with your third sentence about gender norms. See http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2007/10/08/lgbt/index.html for a cogent argument.

And, it will be an ocassion for congrats should this bill get passed. Like I said earlier, I'm under the opinion that this legislation will lift all boats and will help ALL people, LGBTQI, you name it. It may not happen overnight, but nothing meaninful ever does.

[maddiejoan]

16. Not a cogent argument at all.

Nor does it address my point --which is that many gay people transgress societal gender "norms" and will be discriminated against on that basis.

I'm no martyr. I'm a fighter.

This legislation will do nothing even IF it gets passed.


Your oblique implication that I'm some "drama" queen is the same sort of rhetoric commonly used against women by claiming they are being "hysterical".

Your bigotry is showing, and your opinion is as worthless as the claim that all boats will be lifted.

[Politicub]

18. Perhaps my claim is worthless

And maybe I should be more concerned with gender norms, since I'm about as effeminate as they come and can't really cover that up. My response to the gender norms problem is that it's an untested area of law, and is only conjecture at this point.

I don't know where you live, but I live in the state of Georgia which is awful for any kind of LGBT civil rights. I guess I get passionate about having a crumb from the table, though in my heart I would want blanket civil rights for everyone (and universal healthcare, a guarantee of higher education, etc.).

I apologize for the heated words, as I just want "something" for our community (which includes trans), you know? Civil rights is a long, slow slog.

But I guess I should do a better job trying to understand your POV, since you feel this legislation is worthless. We'll just have to agree to disagree there, since I feel like it would be a huge step forward for everyone.

Tell me, what do you think your reaction will be should this receive a veto, which is highly likely? Will you be relieved or saddened that the uphill battle begins anew?

[maddiejoan]

19. I'll be saddened if it passes as is.

And if you are "effeminate" you should be too.

ENDA as is will not protect you against discrimination.

[AnneD]

5. Seems like it has ....

touched a nerve for Barney Frank. That folks is the difference between DEM and GOP. The GOP gays (from the safety of their closets) will posture and write harsh discriminatory legislation but the DEMs will try to write legislation that makes things fair. Why there is even such a thing as log cabin Republicans I'll never know.

[Marrah_G]

10. I don't get that either

My Mayor was just re-elected. He is a republican. Why? I will never understand that. He is the first legally married gay Mayor in the US. I still voted for him though, because he is doing a great job. He won like 4-1 over all.

[bigwillq]

9. It should've included transgendered people

as well. I don't know how they could ignore the transgendered people. I would've voted against the bill.

[freestyle]

11. An exclusionary bill that will be vetoed. Not worth it.

I do not celebrate passage of a bill that leaves out my transdgender friends and will not survive a veto. If we get another bite at this apple with a Democrat in the White House, we should do it right, including gender identity and expression, or not do it at all. There is absolutely no guarantee of coming back to fix the mistake. In Baltimore, it took ten years. In many places it has not happened at all.

[redqueen]

17. Can't help but notice that the "T" is missing.

Trying to keep in mind those old adages about the perfect being the enemy of the good... and how big change takes place slowly... but it's not much comfort when I think of those that are being left out.

Regardless, there is no choice but to keep on trying.