Tag Archives: employment

Brian Brown Has The ENDA Sadz

“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 …

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Atheist Group Praises ENDA Passage, Vows To Help Remove Exemptions

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,” …

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Senate Passes ENDA 64-32

 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 …

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LIVE VIDEO: Final Senate ENDA Vote

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!

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Toomey’s ENDA Amendment Fails

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.

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Tony Perkins Vs Sen. Rob Portman

“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 …

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VIRGINIA: Gov-Elect’s First Act Will Be To Protect LGBT State Employees

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 …

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Senate Adopts GOP’s ENDA Amendment Granting Broader Religious Exemptions

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. …

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GOP Senators Attempt To Expand ENDA’s Already Too-Broad Religious Exemptions

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 …

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Editorial Of The Day

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. …

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McCain To Vote For ENDA?

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.

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Catholic Church On ENDA: Discrimination Against Gay People Should Remain Legal

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 …

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FRC Praises Boehner On ENDA

“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 …

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ENDA Passes Senate Cloture Vote!

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 …

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Haters Are Melting Down Over ENDA

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Gay People Deserve Discrimination

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 …

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Headline Of The Day

As I’ve said here for the last few years, there has been zero chance of ENDA’s passage in the House ever since the GOP assumed the majority in 2010. But with all of today’s news about the bill, please keep in mind that its presumed passage in the Senate WILL move the issue dramatically forward as it drags formerly recalcitrant …

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Obama: Stand With LGBT Workers

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GetEQUAL Takes Issue With Religious Exemptions In ENDA Bill

GetEQUAL is on the warpath about the religious exemptions in the Senate version of ENDA. This religious exemption is so broad that even religiously-affiliated hospitals and schools will still be able to discriminate against LGBT workers. This broad religious exemption will set a harmful precedent for future LGBT gains, and also threatens to set back the work of our allies …

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Freep This Politico Poll

The poll is at the bottom right of their main page. (Tipped by JMG reader Rob)

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