ENDA is so critical because a greater number of gay people will be less afraid to come out at work, especially in the states where they are not currently protected. Most of the time when people come out they create “zones of tolerance” around themselves — it is easy to hate a group of people you don’t know but much harder to hate the person at the next desk or with whom you often sit in the lunchroom. In the days when only radicals and the flamboyant were out, that was how folks thought of all gay people — now that people are learning about the “regular folks” around them, perceptions are gradually improving.

If every gay/lesbian person were magically out tomorrow, almost all of the discrimination and hatred we face would rapidly melt, once people had to perceive us in terms of friends, neighbours, family members, clergy, business contacts, etc. whom they know and like. While we can’t make that happen we need to move in that direction. ENDA is a huge step!

The author’s suggestion of de-emphasizing ENDA now is disheartening and misguided, when ENDA is one of the most reachable and meaningful goals of our movement toward equal rights under the law.

The author of this op-ed says that changes of attitude will come from the private sector. Well, if we cannot be honest about ourselves at work for fear of losing our livelihoods to discrimination, then we are not very free to help change attitudes in the private sector or anywhere else.

And since it remains legal for good employees to be fired from our jobs based on our sexual orientation in 29 states, and based on gender identity in 38 states, that makes for a whole lot of places where we are not yet free to 1.) live without fear of discrimination in the critical area of employment, and 2.) live honestly so that we can continue to change attitudes by coming out.

The very places that are in desparate need for us to come out in greater numbers are the very states that will not be passing statewide non-discrimination laws any time soon. I think it’s awesome that Americans are protected in California and Vermont (and yes, even a few more moderate states in between). But if we want real change for full equality coast-to-coast not just on job discrimination but on the full range of equal rights issues, we have to be able to be honestly ourselves in Idaho and Utah and Alabama and yes, right here in Virginia, without living in fear of unfair job discrimination.

Furthermore, ENDA, slowly but surely, has made progress. And far from placing too many resources into its passage, our national and statewide organizations have been pulled in so many different directions that I fear our movement has placed too FEW resources into a laser-like targeted focus on passing ENDA. If our state and national organizations, and all equality supporters and bloggers and organizers, and pro-equality businesses and religious organizations, just focused on passing ENDA just for three months, it would finally be the law of the land.

Our best window for getting this done is now, this year, before there are fewer equality supporters in congress. Depending on the outcome of the fall elections, we may well be at the kind of high watermark of potential equal rights support in Congress and the White House the likes of which we may not see again for another decade. NOW is the time to act for equal rights.

The upshot, once again, is we must keep calling our U.S. Senators and Representatives at 202-224-3121 and urging them to PASS the Employment Non-Discrimination Act NOW. Job security, fairness in the workplace, and inclusion in the kind of basic civil rights protections all other Americans take for granted — these issues are so critical that we must keep our focus and pass ENDA now.

well said!!

The author is yet another Republican who wants tax savings over guaranteed human rights. How sad.

Well, if only the HRC’s index was based on actual jobs obtained by people like me who are transgender. What good does an index do, if it doesn’t really represent jobs? We need to work, and I think federal ENDA protection should help. True, you cannot legislate acceptance, but sheesh, we’re dying out here without jobs. Marriage equality would be great, so would DADT, but eating and living somewhere would be nice for folks like us who seem to get lost in all the controversy. Transgender, gender variant and genderqueer folks and butch lesbians and fem gays have often taken the brunt of the pain, and have little to show in terms of gain. Many of us support you, some of us are gay or lesbian too, so why is there always such a rush to throw us under the bus?

You wrote “Other Democrats stood up for their constituents to the point of ridicule but our advocates were silent. Perhaps that is because we did not ask them to speak up for us.”

I would disagree with this assertion. Yes our “advocates” have been quick to dump trans people at the first chance, almost like it’s mandatory now. People like me without jobs, have spent tons of time writing all our Democratic leaders, calling them, and even talking to them in person when possible. I’m almost sick of the amount of form letters I have received over the years. But hey, I guess that is the luxury of not having to bother with a job or an income? Unfortunately, without a job, I don’t have the luxury of attending fancy dinners and lobby days, but you will find me out there with a sign in my spare time, supporting DADT, NO H8 and everything LGBTQQI under the sun. I have also donated small amounts to every LGBT cause, and worked to support the Dems, including President Barack’s campaign. I think it is not accurate to continue to portray the T in the mix as “not asking them to speak up for us” or pretending we just sit around doing our nails all day. (wait is that a chip in my nail color?)

Also, you must certainly understand that without gender-identity protections that are real, and backed up with some sort of real teeth, the sexual orientation protections alone only protect “straight-acting closeted gays and lebians right? ” It is precisely when someone can “see” that you don’t fit the straight world, that the problems begin.

How about funding for jobs for transgender, genderqueer, and gender variant folks then? Help us to become employed, and I’m sure we’ll happy to contribute from our newfound wealth to black-tie dinners and political fundraisers.