Looking Ahead to ENDA in the Senate

We have heard concerns from members of our community about the election of Scott Brown to the United States Senate and the impact on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). ENDA certainly can still be passed by the Senate and it remains a bipartisan bill. It currently has two Republican co-sponsors in the Senate, Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, both from Maine. There are a several other Republican Senators who have indicated their potential support and could, with continued constituent action and education, join in sponsoring or voting for ENDA. ENDA's passage depends on the actions we each take, as do all of our efforts to pass legislation designed to protect LGBT people. Every vote in the Senate counted before Tuesday’s election and every vote continues to count today. Every constituent call, letter and visit has the potential to impact the very votes we need to pass this bill. We continue to work vigorously for the passage of ENDA and for full equality for LGBT people. These protections are long overdue. ENDA simply makes into law what the majority of Americans firmly believe—that people should be judged in the workplace for their skills and experience, not on their sexual orientation and gender identity. At a time when the economy continues to struggle, we cannot afford to lose jobs because of an employer’s personal prejudice. ENDA's passage is certainly possible this year, even with the results from last night’s election. We urge everyone in the community to continue to work hard for the passage of this critical bill.