Tweet
In 29 states it is still legal to fire or refuse to hire someone based on his or her sexual orientation; if you include gender identity, the count rises to 34 states (source: HRC). I live in one of those states, North Carolina.
You’d think that if 73 percent of Americans support an executive order barring discrimination against LGBT employees by federal contractors, the White House would have no fear of extending these protections, which would tremendously help LGBTs in states where there are no anti-discrimination laws covering them, but this President, whose executive order pen is in use quite frequently on all sorts of matters, has been dormant on the desk.
Today, 37 U.S. Senators signed a letter — led by Sen. Jeff Merkley, urging Barack Obama to pick that pen up and use it. Doing this should be a no brainer as a strong majority — 57 percent — of Fortune 500 companies already have inclusive anti-discrimination policies in place. Human Rights Campaign (HRC):
“An executive order from President Obama would ensure that hundreds of thousands of LGBT federal contract employees could go to work every day without fear of being fired for who they are or who they love,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “I am grateful to these leaders in the Senate for speaking out on behalf of LGBT Americans who want nothing more than a fair shot at a job.”
Federal contractors employ more than 20 percent of the American workforce and earn around $500 billion from federal taxpayers every year. According to the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, prohibiting anti-LGBT employment discrimination by federal contractors would extend equal workplace rights to more than 16 million workers, and would help ensure that they are not forced into the ranks of the unemployed based solely on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
“It’s outrageous that in the year 2013, it is still legal to fire someone based on who they love,” said Senator Jeff Merkley. “The President can protect millions of workers from unfair discrimination with the stroke of a pen. I’m pleased that 36 of my colleagues have joined together to push for more equality in the workplace.”
Via Buzzfeed, the Executive Order Letter – 02-14-13 by Chris Geidner
10 Comments
Well, well, Menendez and Lautenberg signed. At first glance, I didn’t see Frank and was ready to raise some hell, but he’s there. Go, NJ–despite the carefully calculating governor, balanced as he is between a generally fairly liberal NJ electorate and the Republican base which will make or break his expansive ambitions. Tough straddle, there, gov. Think of it as part of your exercise program.
ONLY 37??? Aren’t there 100 senators???
That’s the biggest bunch of do-nothing assholes on the face of the planet.
Bi-cameral legislature. What a moronic idea. Yeah, I’m talking to you Jefferson and you Adams.
No Maria Cantwell (D-WA)? Is that really *that* much big money opposing this executive order? Patty Murray (D-WA) signed, and Cantwell is usually slightly *less* despicable than Murray. Was Cantwell out sick, or do I have to go through her VoteSmart and OpenSecrets profiles and comb through her FEC reports *yet again*?
Great to see both senators from Massachusetts signing, the recently-elected Elizabeth Warren and William Cowan, appointed by Gov. Patrick to fill the seat until someone is elected to replace fmr Sen John Kerry in a special election this August.
Cowan isn’t standing for re-election so he can pretty much do as he thinks right. Like Burris and Kaufman.
I do not understand the holdup on the ENDA EO.
What’s the politics of waiting all about? Does Team Obama fear that, once signed, the fickle LBGTs will go off on a GRINDR hookup with Lindsey Graham? Because, you know what?
That is not gonna happen.
Sign the damn paper, President Obama. You should have signed it, and announced that you did, at the SOTU. Now you’ve lost your audience, pretty much. Does the White House even get that this is a JOBS opportunity?
Sometimes I wonder: we have bozos on our bus.
Glad to see BOTH Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar on board with this. Gave them a shout out on twitter for this. Sen Kay Hagen, D-NC is conspictuous by her absence on this – but that is rather typical of her, isn’t it Pam?
To be fair, Jefferson and Adams did not come up with Parliament and the House of Commons and they did not have modern models for republican democracy.
How is Obama explaining this to the HRC and Democratic bundlers who are also advocates for the GLBT community?
He was willing to force the military to integrate, but not the people to whom the military pays big, big bucks?
Those folks get so much money from the military, they should be willing to do almost anything for those contracts. Do they draw the line at doing the right thing?
Obama isn’t standing for reelection, either, unless he pulls a John Quincy Adams. So, what’s his problem?