ENDA UPDATE: CONTACT YOUR SENATORS TODAY

Commentary by Ove Overmyer

President, CSEA City of Rochester Library Workers 7420

VP, CSEA Local 828

Rochester, N.Y.-- First of all, let me tell you some good news: The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would ban discrimination against LGBT workers, has a record number of cosponsors in the House. That means the pro-civil rights community has a very real chance to get ENDA passed soon.

Now, the bad news: Despite its broad support, our allies in Congress are refusing to even put ENDA on the agenda.

Midterm elections are just around the corner, and the next Congress is expected to be more hostile to workplace rights legislation. We must act now before we lose this window of opportunity to pass ENDA.

Until gay and lesbian workers in America, until Black people in America, until Latino and Asian-Pacific Islander people in America, until every under-represented community in America has equal access to the protections and rights in the workplace afforded to the majority and to the privileged, we fall short of Dr. King’s dream-- that we each be judged by the content of our character, not race, not religion, not gender identity, and not sexual orientation.

Years from now, we will look back on ENDA, California's Proposition 8 and other civil rights legislation and we will think that opposition to job discrimination and marriage equality seemed backwards, perhaps even unimaginable in the way that the abject racism of the Civil Rights Movement now seems barbaric and absurd.

As labor activists, you should know the LGBT community is the only group in the country that it’s legal to discriminate against. In 29 states, it is still legal to fire a worker for being lesbian, gay or bisexual. In 38 states, a person can be fired just for being transgender.

ENDA is a jobs bill, period. The current recession only compounds the devastating financial insecurity LGBT people live with all the time. ENDA offers economic justice—and economic security.

And I repeat, ENDA has broad support. We've secured more cosponsors for ENDA than any other LGBT legislation in U.S. history with 202 in the House and 45 in the Senate. There is no excuse for Congress to delay this sensible and necessary legislation any longer.

Each of us must ask ourselves whether we will choose to stand on the right side of history. Will we stand for our gay brothers and sisters by ending the discrimination and torment they endure when we attempt to participate in every day opportunities that so many of us take for granted? I'm referring to simple but meaningful opportunities like hearing "you're hired" or saying "I do."

Ask yourself this question-- Which side of history you will be on? If you believe in social and economic justice, make your voice heard today. Contact U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer as soon as humanly possible.