Urge the Senate to Pass a Trans-Inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act

by Michael Jones · 2009-08-06 12:09:00 UTC
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Rainbow FlagIn 29 states, it's legal for someone to be fired because they are gay, lesbian or bisexual.  In a whopping 38 states, it's legal to fire someone because they are transgender.

Think those statistics are repulsive?  Well, now's the time to tell the U.S. Senate.  Earlier this week, Senators Jeff Merkley, Ted Kennedy, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe introduced a bipartisan "Employment Non-Discrimination Act" in the U.S. Senate. The bill, known as S. 1584, would prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Here at change.org, we've got a petition where you can send a message to your Senators letting them know that hardworking LGBT people don't deserve to be fired, and consequently lose their livelihoods, simply because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The fact that it's 2009, and more than two dozen states allow workers to be discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, is a pretty sad sentiment.

Now is the time to change that.  Please consider signing this petition, and urging the U.S. Senate to support the first-ever trans-inclusive "Employment Non-Discrimination Act" introduced in the Senate.  President Barack Obama has pledged to sign it if Congress gives its approval.  Wouldn't it be great to see this become law?

For more information on this bill, also check out change.org member Dave Hershey's spreadsheet on Senators who have co-sponsored the Act.  Dave also gives a little comparison between those who have signed on to support this bill, and those who support expanding hate crimes legislation to include protections for sexual orientation and gender identity.  Excellent political science at play here.

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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