ENDA Hearing on the Hill

ENDA is

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 3017), introduced by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), would prohibit employment discrimination, preferential treatment, and retaliation on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity by employers with 15 or more employees. Currently, it is legal to discriminate in the workplace based on sexual orientation in 29 states and in 38 states based on gender identity.

And the place to start for me is with the testimony of William Eskridge, John A. Garver Professor of Jurisprudence at Yale Law School, it's short but very pointed.



And next up, another personal story, this one from Vandy Beth Glenn, where she was fired from her Georgia state legislative job



Normally, when I write these posts, I have loads to say, but I honestly couldn't add analysis or even a thought when presented with the testimony of Vandy Beth Glenn and William Eskridge. Nothing I've experienced comes close to being fired from a job that you love and are good at because your boss has an issue with how your co-workers might feel. Feel? Seriously? WTF?

I think we as a society have a long way to go on the issue of equality. From women's pay, to Don't Ask Don't Tell, we have long walk ahead of us. Legislation like ENDA is a major step down that long road, and no one says it better than the men and women most affected by ENDA, like Helen C. Walther:

By Helen C. Walther on September 22, 2009 12:59 PM
As a transsexual woman I can directly attest to the need of this legislation. I can directly relate to the fear of losing a job, or not even having a chance for one, because of my gender identity as well as the limiting nature of this fear on my current job search (I’ve been unemployed for 9 months).

ENDA needs to come to the floor and every member of Congress needs to vote for it.