ENDA Sees Bipartisan Support in the Senate

Reported by Donna Cassata and Catherine Lucey of the Associated Press.

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act – the bill that offers job protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity – are seeing bipartisan support in the Senate.  It’s expected that on Monday’s trial vote, all of the Democratic majority and four Republicans will be voting in favor of the measure.

“Current federal law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, race and national origin, but it doesn’t stop an employer from firing or refusing to hire workers solely because they are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.”

“In September 1996, the Senate narrowly rejected a similar measure on a 50-49 vote. That bill did not include protections for transgender people.”

“Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia have already approved laws banning workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and 17 of those also prohibit employers from discriminating based on gender identity.”

“About 88 percent of Fortune 500 companies have already adopted nondiscrimination policies that include sexual orientation, according to the Human Rights Campaign. About 57 percent of those companies include gender identity.”

Full article can be viewed here.