15.04.11

Thursday, April 14, Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Walk Kirk (R-Ill.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) introduced in the Senate on Non-Discrimination Act work (ENDA) to ban workplace discrimination based on sexual development and gender identity. The announcement follows the reintroduction of ENDA in the same Ill openly gay Barney Frank (Mass.), April 6, but with less than 92 co-sponsors to give it collected before the end of the year, Congress 111th last.

ENDA would restrict employers, employment agencies, unions and joint labor-management operation to take, to refuse to hire or discriminate against persons employed or seeking employment on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. These protections are already in place prohibiting discrimination based on race, creed, sex, national origin, age and disability.

"The right to work hard and earn a living is a fundamental right," said Senator Merkley via news paparazzi. "It is essential to the success of a family.It is essential to the tail of happiness. It is part of equality before the law. The test of whether you can get and keep a job should be whether you can do the job, not your sexual orientation or gender individuality.

Source: Just Out (blog)