The Washington Blade reports that Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) is about to sign on to the 2013 version of ENDA. That means the bill  has more sponsors than the 2001 version of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act; it held the previous record for the most sponsors of any LGBT bill.

In my opinion, sitting down here in NC, a state without any employment protections for LGBTs and marriage not even anywhere on the horizon (barring an unexpected blanket SCOTUS ruling), the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) has always been a top priority on the list of basic civil rights we need now. The public supports eliminating this discrimination by overwhelming margins, but on the Hill it’s been like pulling teeth to get action.

Rockefeller’s co-sponsorship of ENDA is also noteworthy because West Virginia lacks any statewide LGBT employment non-discrimination protections. The other senator from the state, Sen. Joe Manchin (D), has yet to indicate whether he supports ENDA.

While the legislation has more than majority support in the days after President Obama called for passage of ENDA during the White House Pride reception, it’s still short of the 60 votes necessary. Four Democrats are still not ENDA co-sponsors: Manchin, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) and Tim Johnson (D-S.D.).

Meanwhile, it only takes a stroke of the pen by the President on an executive order to protect protecting LGBT federal contract workers. Every signal from the White House has been that Barack Obama, who could profoundly affect these workers around the country right now (only a subsequent President could undo the order), is content to keep the pen in the desk and let Congress address ENDA.

Update (7:30 pm Wednesday): The Delaware Senate has approved the amended bill passed yesterday by the House, and Gov. Markell has signed it into law. Congratulations Delaware!

Delaware is on the verge of protecting transgender residents under its anti-discrimination and hate crimes laws.  From Washington Blade:

The Delaware House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a bill that would add gender identity and expression to the state’s anti-discrimination and hate crimes laws.

The 24-17 vote came less than a week after Senate Bill 97 passed out of the House Administration Committee. The Delaware Senate earlier this month approved the measure.

According to Think Progress, “The Gender Identity Nondiscrimination Act would make discrimination on the basis of gender identity illegal in employment, housing, public accommodations, public works, contracting, and insurance. It would also make any violence or harassment motivated by gender identity discrimination into a hate crime.”

Because the House added a friendly amendment to the bill, the legislation now returns to the Senate for a confirmation vote.

Earlier this month Gov. Jack Markell called for passage of the bill, saying:

Kindness, decency, and fairness are the values that Delawareans live by on a daily basis. They are the values I have encountered in towns and cities throughout Delaware. We look out for one another in this state of neighbors. Yet, for years, we have left one group of our friends, relatives, and colleagues behind. And it is past time to make things right.

Transgender Delawareans are not afforded basic legal protections from discrimination and violence that every person deserves. Under our State’s laws, it is currently legal to fire someone, deny them housing, or throw them out of a restaurant simply because they are transgender. This is simply not the Delaware way and it is time our laws reflect our values. This is one of the many reasons why I am proud to support the Gender Identity Nondiscrimination Act of 2013.

Once the bill is singed into law, Delaware will become the 14th state to protect transgender people under its hate crimes laws, and the 17th to protect transgender people under its anti-discrimination laws.

The US Supreme Court is due to rule on the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act and Proposition 8 by the end of June.  Decision Day events are being planned across the country so folks can learn about the rulings and celebrate (or commiserate?) together.  Check out the website to see if an event has been planned near you, and if not, consider organizing one yourself.

Nobody knows on which day the Court will release the opinions.  Possible dates are Thursday (6/20), Monday (6/24) and Thursday (6/27), although the Court could add another June date at any time.  On those mornings, keep an eye on SCOTUSblog for live reports about that day’s opinions as they are issued.