The Task Force Applauds ENDA Introduction
A quarter century after Seattle’s City Council — through the encouragement of Ingersoll Gender Center — passed one of the first ordinances protecting the rights of individuals facing gender identity issues against discrimination in housing and employment, the United States Senate has begun action to make those rights federal law. Jeff Merkley, Oregon’s newest US Senator, introduced the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) in the upper chamber, along with co-sponsors Ted Kennedy (D-Massachusetts) and Susan Collins (R-Maine).
ENDA expands Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The House version of the bill was introduced in June by Rep. Barney Frank (D-Massachusetts) — along with 152 co-sponsors. ”At Ingersoll we have learned that we must never quit, even for a moment, in our struggle for fairness and full equality,” says Marsha Botzer, founder and chair of Ingersoll, “We are proud of our role in the community, a role committed to informing everyone on the content and meaning of the current ENDA debate in Congress. The great goal is achieving justice and equality for everyone.”
Washington is one of 12 states that already offer protections to lesbian, gay, and trans individuals. Rep. Jim McDermott and Jay Inslee are among the House co-sponsors of ENDA. Still, discrimination based on gender identity remains a force that denies equality in employment and even housing to millions of individuals. State laws remain uneven in their protection, and even local ordinances are hard to enforce. The force of federal law will send another loud message to a “post-racial” America that employment should be based on character and skill.
ENDA has its best chance ever for becoming law with the support of Democrats in Congress and the White House. The President has already expressed his approval for the bill. In 2007, ENDA came to the House floor for the first time after having its gender identity protections gutted. Frank, the first openly gay member of Congress, says he had to remove those protections in order to get the bill through the House. A national coalition of more than 250 groups — including Ingersoll Gender Center — fought hard, but failed to restore the gender identity provisions. The remaining House bill was passed with some Republican votes — including Dave Reichert, who serves Washington’s 8th Congressional District. The bill, however, never came to a vote in the US Senate, and was unlikely to be signed by then-President George W. Bush.
As the Congress heads towards a busy fall session focused on National Health Care and environmental legislation, it will be difficult for ENDA to surface in the confusion. It is important that members in Washington State get INDIVIDUAL messages of support for ENDA — especially from those facing discrimination based on their gender identity. Ingersoll has compiled a list of Washington’s Congressional delegation — including telephone numbers and district office locations —
here. Write, call, and even visit your member of Congress and educate them on the importance of ENDA. (The August recess is a good time to catch your member of Congress at home) Tell YOUR story.
