Tag Archives: employment

Lower right of the main page. (Via JMG reader AJ)

“The religious liberty death spiral continues. Writing in the Huffington Post, popular homosexual radio personality Michelangelo Signorile confessed that, of any potential ENDA legislation that might reach President Obama’s desk for his pledged signature, ‘none should include any religious exemptions’ whatsoever. If Signorile and other ‘LGBT’ activists get their way, this would mean that churches, mosques, synagogues, religious schools, Bible …

“This would not have happened without the blessing of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormon Church). The Mormon Church got a big black eye five years ago for all it did to pass Proposition 8 in California, which wrote discrimination into the state Constitution and took away gay marriage in the nation’s largest state. So in …

The New York Times reports that ENDA passed yesterday not just with the help of the top Mormons in the Senate such as Majority Leader Harry Reid, but with the de facto blessing (or at least, without the objections) of the church itself. Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, who at 79 is one of the Senate’s longest-serving members, became the …

“We are very disappointed by the Senate’s passage of this bill. While protecting people against discrimination is a very important goal, this legislation is problematic because of its broad and unclear definitions. Concepts like ‘sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity’ are too vague to be a basis for such a law which could lead to individuals facing reprisals or even criminal …

Via press release from the Secular Coalition For America: The Secular Coalition for America today applauded the passing of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in the U.S. Senate, but expressed disappointment that discrimination by religious organizations will continue to be permitted, leaving millions of Americans unprotected. “This is a step in the right direction, but it certainly doesn’t go far enough,” …

 Four senators did not vote. I’ll have the roll call shortly. UPDATE: Buzzfeed has the vote recap. Ten Republicans joined all 54 present Democrats in voting for the bill. In addition to ENDA co-sponsors Sens. Mark Kirk and Susan Collins, Republicans Sens. Kelly Ayotte, Jeff Flake, Orrin Hatch, Dean Heller, John McCain, Lisa Murkowski, Rob Portman and Pat Toomey supported …

The Senate is about to make its final vote on ENDA.  C-SPAN2 is covering the proceedings live.  While the bill will not be heard in the House under the Boehner regime, this IS major LGBT history happening today. UPDATE: And it PASSES!

Sen. Pat Toomey’s attempt to further broaden the religious exemptions in ENDA just failed 55-43.  View the roll call here. The final full vote on ENDA is due within the hour.

“With ENDA on the table, liberals (and a handful of Republicans) are trying to convince the American people that they aren’t tolerant enough to run their own offices. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) is trying to cushion the blow of his ENDA support with flimsy so-called religious exemptions that will do nothing to protect Americans. His amendment, which passed yesterday by …

Via the Human Rights Campaign: Signaling a new day for LGBT equality in Virginia, Democrat Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe said in his first press conference that his first executive order will be to ban discrimination against LGBT state employees. “In his first day as Governor-elect, Terry McAuliffe has declared a new day for LGBT equality in the Commonwealth of Virginia,” said …

Via the Associated Press: On a quick, voice vote Wednesday, the Senate approved an amendment from Republican Sens. Rob Portman of Ohio and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire that would prevent federal, state and local governments from retaliating against religious groups that are exempt from the law. The overall bill would prohibit workplace discrimination against gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. …

Buzzfeed’s Chris Geidner reports that a group of GOP senators are pushing an amendment to ENDA that would expand the already too-broad religious exemption in the bill. LGBT groups “appear uninterested” in fighting the amendment, says Geidner. The amendment, which also includes a provision making explicit that the purpose of the ENDA includes respect for religious liberty, is being authored …

In an editorial published yesterday, the New York Times slammed the “terribly broad” religious exemption in ENDA. The exemption would extend beyond churches and other houses of worship to any religiously affiliated institution, like hospitals and universities, and would allow those institutions to discriminate against people in jobs with no religious function, like billing clerks, cafeteria workers and medical personnel. …

It’s worth noting that voting to advance a bill doesn’t necessarily mean supporting it. Legislators sometimes vote to advance a bill just bring it a floor vote and put it to bed.

The United States Conference On Catholic Bishops has issued a press release and sent a letter to members of the Senate in which they declare that it should remain legal to fire LGBT people. Peter Montgomery of People From The American Way has a excerpt: While the Church is opposed to unjust discrimination on any grounds, including those related to …

“We commend Speaker Boehner for opposing ENDA because of the costly lawsuits that burden businesses in an already struggling economy. The law creates a new federal mandate on businesses based on sexuality and does not allow businesses the choice of taking those things into consideration when they think it is appropriate. For examples, businesses, including daycares and public schools, will …

Chris Geidner has the details at Buzzfeed: The Senate overcame any threat of a filibuster to a bill banning discrimination against LGBT people on Monday, setting up a final vote on the bill in the coming days. Seven Republicans broke ranks with their party in voting to block any filibusters against the bill, joined by all 55 Democrats in the …

Kyle Mantala at Right Wing Watch: Fischer laughably went on to claim that ENDA grants special rights to gays, saying that “there’s no protection in here for heterosexuals, none whatsoever … they get no legal protections in the law.” Apparently Fischer doesn’t realize that ENDA would make it illegal to fire someone based on their sexual orientation … and being …