Senator Elizabeth Warren Floor Speech on ENDA

Senator Elizabeth Warren delivered remarks about the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) on the Senate floor, on November 6, 2013

Read also : ‘Asterisk Equality’ Isn’t Real Equality: Fighting for an ENDA Without Exemptions

Senator Elizabeth Warren : Floor Speech on the Employment Non-­‐Discrimination Act (ENDA) November 6, 2013

Madam President, I rise today to speak about the importance of passing the Employment Nondiscrimination Act, a bill that I am proud to co-­‐sponsor and to support.

It has taken us far too long to arrive at this day. For nearly forty years, Members of Congress have worked to pass legislation that would protect LGBT Americans from discrimination in the workplace.

Much has changed since Bella Abzug introduced the Equality Act of 1974. Equal marriage is now the law in fourteen states. Twenty-­‐one states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws to protect against employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, and sixteen states and the District of Columbia also protect against gender identity discrimination. The Supreme Court has rejected DOMA, a law that legalized discrimination against same-­‐sex spouses, by calling that law exactly what it was – unconstitutional.

In the private sector, a majority of Fortune 500 companies have adopted policies to protect workers from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and polling data show that a majority of small businesses have similar policies in place. By nearly every measure, we have made progress in the long march toward equality.

And yet, in the face of all of this progress, nearly a half-­‐century since Congress first enacted Title VII of the Civil Rights Act – prohibiting employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin – we still have not extended these basic federal protections to LGBT Americans. Let’s not mince words here. The failure to treat all our citizens with the same dignity is shameful. In America, equal means equal.

Many have tried hard to reach this day, and our legislators from Massachusetts have long been leaders in the fight. Senator Ted Kennedy and Congressman Barney Frank both spent decades working on this issue. Senator Paul Tsongas from Massachusetts introduced the first Senate bill to prohibit employment discrimination against LGBT Americans all the way back in 1979.

But progress has been slow. The last time the full Senate voted on ENDA was seventeen years ago, when a version of the law championed by Senator Kennedy failed to pass by a single vote – 49 to50 – back in 1996. In 2007, the House passed a version of ENDA introduced by Congressman Frank, but the bill made no progress in the Senate. Today, there are 55 cosponsors of ENDA in the Senate – Democrats and Republicans – representing the broad majority support for the bill, signaling that tremendous progress has been made.

It is all the more shameful that it has taken us this long to arrive at this day because Americans believe in equality. According to one survey, some 80% of Americans believe that it is already illegal to discriminate against workers based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Unfortunately, however, this is one of the rare instances where the American people are giving Congress way too much credit, because the truth is – we haven’t acted yet. And the consequences of Congressional inaction remain all too real for millions of LGBT Americans.

Despite the successful efforts in many states to pass nondiscrimination measures, Americans living in over half the country can still be discriminated against in the workplace based on sexual orientation or gender identity. And it happens. Between 15% and 43% of LGBT individuals have reported experiencing discrimination or harassment in the workplace.

A quarter of transgender Americans have reported being fired from a job due to their gender identity, and a whopping 90% have reported experiencing harassment and mistreatment. There’s been a lot of progress toward a more inclusive nation, but for LGBT workers, a law to stop employment discrimination can’t come fast enough.

The Employment Non-­‐Discrimination Act pending in the Senate will protect LGBT individuals in the workplace, update the law to reflect what the vast majority of Americans already believe is the law, and help fulfill our constitutional responsibility to protect equality in this nation. ENDA doesn’t provide any special rights to any particular groups of Americans. It does not compel any religious organization to change its views. It just creates a level playing field for LGBT workers; it makes sure that all workers are judged by the work they do, not by who they are or whom they love.

America is ready for this day. An overwhelming majority of voters, both Democrats and Republicans, support the enactment of this law. They know it reflects the values of our nation.

And America’s businesses are ready too. Recent polling shows that a large majority of small businesses supports the Employment Nondiscrimination Act. As for big businesses, 88% of Fortune 500 companies have already implemented policies prohibiting discrimination against gays and lesbians in the workplace.

Raytheon, one of the nation’s top defense contractors and a proud Massachusetts-­‐based company, bars LGBT discrimination. One executive at Raytheon was quoted as saying that the organization’s “culture of inclusion absolutely gives us a recruiting edge” when it comes to hiring the best and the brightest.

Shortly before his death, in March of 2009, Senator Kennedy joined with Senators Merkley, Collins, and Snowe in what would be his final attempt to push this bipartisan legislation over the finish line. At the time, Senator Kennedy eloquently explained his continuing support for the ENDA by noting that “the promise of America will never be fulfilled as long as justice is denied to even one among us.” Those words were true in 1974 when Bella Abzug introduced the Equality Act. Those words were true when the Senate came within one vote of passing ENDA in 1996. Those words were true when Senator Kennedy offered them in 2009. And those words are true today. The promise of America will never be fulfilled so long as justice is denied to even one among us.

We deal with a lot of different kinds of legislation in the Senate. This week we have a chance to vote on a law that is a measure of who we are as a people and what kind of world we want to build. I believe in a world where equal means equal, and that is why I will be voting to outlaw employment discrimination against my neighbors and my friends.

Senator Kennedy, Senator Tsongas, and Congresswoman Abzug, are no longer with us, but like so many others, they fought so hard to get us here – to get us one step closer to equality for all of us. It has taken us far too long to arrive at this day. But we are here now, and we are not going back.

Read Sen. Warren's press release : Senator Warren Urges Colleagues to Pass ENDA

Obama Marriage Equality Reaction

Facebook LGBT Reaction To President Barack Obama's Marriage Equality ''Evolution''

Following is the Facebook ''status update'' posted by LGBT civil rights activist Tiffani Equality Bishop, which deftly addresses the commonly-shared disappointment in President Obama's recently announced support for marriage equality :

Am I appreciative of Obama's partial evolution on marriage equality? YES

Am I also incredibly disgusted that he went to NC on April 24 and took millions of LGBT dollars without even mentioning Amendment 1 once? YES

Am I also incredibly disgusted that the DNC and OFA did not send one email, one volunteer, or even one penny to help defeat Amendment 1 in NC all while taking millions of dollars from our community? YES

Am I frustrated that he still thinks it is a states rights issue and not a human rights issue? YES

Am I frustrated that he still believes only section 3 of DOMA and not all of DOMA should be repealed? YES

So has he really evolved like people say? I see this as a partial "evolution"...he still has some "evolving" to do.

So please excuse me for feeling a little slapped in the face when our POTUS chooses to evolve on marriage (partially anyway) the day after the harshest anti-LGBT marriage amendment passed in NC while he and his administration did absolutely NOTHING to help defeat it...not even a pretty speech. Am I glad he came out, yes. But his timing was disrespectful and severely lacked any tact.

What I have a hard time understanding though, is the reaction from our community. He still hasn't completely evolved, and his partial evolution does not make us any more equal. I have a hard time understanding why people were crying and celebrating and throwing money at him over this. Words may make us feel good for a minute, but at the end of the day we're still unequal and his actions aren't backing up his words.

If he means it, he'll put his money where his mouth is. He'll sign the ENDA Executive Order on his desk, and he'll stop the deportations of same-sex binational partners...and he'll do it BEFORE the election.

If his actions don't back it up, then it really doesn't mean anything. It just means he is pandering to our community, throwing us crumbs, and using us as election tokens.

The integrity of Ms. Bishop's response to President Obama's ''partial evolution'' on marriage equality can be affirmed by reading published editorials, like this one, printed by The Philadelphia Inquirer : ''A huge step but no real action : While Obama's support for same-sex marriage is a landmark, he left the question up to each state.'' Ms. Bishop is a leading LGBT civil rights activist in the United States. She is lives in Texas. This post was reprinted in its entirety from a post made on Facebook.

LGBT Activists Protest Against Texas Gov. Rick Perry's Hate Event

Protesters Travel From Across Texas to Picket Hate-Based Event

HOUSTON, TX — On August 6th, Governor Perry spoke at an event inside Reliant Stadium in Houston that he organized with the American Family Association, an organization recognized as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Outside, GetEQUAL protesters from across the Lone Star State joined together and raised their voices against the hatred and bigotry being voiced inside the stadium.

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community has recently seen a rise in hate crimes against them, both in Texas and across the country. This event is one more example of religion-based bigotry that helps spur such hate crimes and helps send the message that discriminating against one particular group is okay.

“Our Governor invited, and therefore endorsed, groups to preach hate in our state,” said GetEQUAL Texas State Lead Organizer Michael Diviesti. “The American Family Association and the Family Research Council empower the bullies that are driving our youth to suicide and the murderers who kill out of hatred and ignorance.”

For the LGBT community, this was a day to stand up and fight back — not against prayer, but against those using their religion as a justification for the harm they cause to others.

LGBT civil rights activist Iana Di Bona was among the activists, who took part in the protest outside the Reliant Stadium. Read the entire press release issued by GetEQUAL about Texas Governor Rick Perry's hate convention.

LGBT New Yorkers to President Obama : Call Dean Skelos and Demand a Vote on Marriage Equality

LGBT New Yorkers to President Obama : Evolve Already on Marriage Equality !

Open message to President Obama : Call Sen. Dean Skelos at 1-518-455-3171 and demand that Sen. Skelos hold a vote on the marriage equality bill pending right now in the New York state senate.

LGBT activists, allies, and supporters gathered for a demonstration outside President Obama's fundraiser at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers in New York City, where the President was attending his very first campaign fundraiser that was specifically targeting LGBT voters and campaign contributors.

This fundraiser is coming off the heels of a week during which White House officials have said that the President never supported marriage equality, even though he signed a campaign questionnaire to that effect in 1996.

The Obama administration has said that its ''official'' position on marriage equality is still evolving, but LGBT equality groups, such as GetEQUAL, Connecting Rainbows, and others, have demanded that the President should ''evolve already'' and support LGBT equality in all forms, including marriage equality.

Barack Obama LGBT Protest Sheraton NYC

UPDATE : Videos from #EvolveAlready Demonstration outside President Obama's first ever LGBT campaign fundraiser

When will President Obama's position on marriage equality evolve into a policy of "equality" ?

President Barack Obama is heading to New York City for a big LGBT fundraiser, but has not yet even declared support for one of the most basic human rights -- the freedom to marry. GetEQUAL is organising a protest outside the President's fundraiser at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers.

Date : Thursday, June 23, 2011
Time : 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Where : Sheraton Hotel and Towers, 811 7th Avenue (at 53rd Street), NYC

1996-02-15 Obama Marriage Equality Questionnaire

White House aide lies : 1996 Obama gay marriage questionnaire is a fake, even though Obama signed it.

Members of Connecting Rainbows will be joining members of GetEQUAL and other activists at the fundraiser on Thursday to demand that President Obama change his position back to one of support of marriage equality and that, before he collects a single campaign contribution check from our community, he publicly declare his support for marriage equality.

Will you join us? RSVP at the Facebook Event Page.

President Obama's LGBT fundraiser is coming off the heels of a very public flip-flop on marriage equality. At last week's Netroots Nation blog conference, White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer told conference participants that President Obama never supported marriage equality.

Some final, wise observations from Pam's House Blend : "The Empire State is on the cusp of passing full marriage equality and the President is parachuting in to pull out cash from the gAyTM this week. It's kind of hard to ignore what is happening in New York, but Team Obama will count on the gayz who like access not to press him on the obvious civil rights matter in the state's legislature."