Immigration Equality Joins Coalition Calling for Action on ENDA
On Friday, Immigration Equality joined a coalition of other LGBT organizations in calling on Congress to take immediate action on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). The coalition letter follows an indefinite postponement of Congressional hearings on the bill, and calls on lawmakers to move the bill immediately.
The entire text of the letter reads:
In light of continuing delays in the House of Representatives, we must state clearly and unequivocally: Passing basic job protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people must happen now. At a time when our government is deeply focused on the critical issue of employment, it is inexcusable to delay action on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). Each and every job lost to prejudice based on sexual orientation and gender identity needlessly compounds the unemployment challenges facing our nation. We call on Congress for the immediate passage of ENDA.
For decades now, we have called upon Congress to pass legislation to address the basic right of LGBT people to work free from discrimination at our jobs, and now Congress tells us we must wait another year. In 29 states, it remains legal to fire people based on sexual orientation and in 38 states, discrimination based on gender identity remains legal. In failing to take swift action to pass ENDA, our government allows unfettered bigotry to go unchecked, leading to the loss of jobs, fear in the workplace, economic instability, and personal hardship, while allowing employers to lose competent experienced workers. ENDA is urgently needed by our communities.
The majority of Americans consistently state their support for employment protections and voters have affirmed similar state and local measures. There is absolutely no reason for Congress to continue to delay this non-controversial bill or drop LGBT issues to the bottom of their agenda. We will not be denied basic rights any longer. Nothing is more important than protecting peoples’ jobs so ENDA must pass now. Further delays are absolutely unacceptable.
Matthew Coles & James Esseks, Co-Directors, American Civil Liberties Union LGBT Project
Terry Stone, Executive Director, CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers
Toni Broaddus, Executive Director, Equality Federation
Jennifer Chrisler, Executive Director, Family Equality Council
Lee Swislow, Executive Director, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders
Jarrett Tomás Barrios, President, Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
Joe Solmonese, President, Human Rights Campaign
Rachel B. Tiven, Executive Director, Immigration Equality
Earl Fowlkes, President/CEO, International Federation of Black Prides, Inc.
Kevin Cathcart, Executive Director, Lambda Legal
Christian Berle, Director of the Log Cabin Republicans National Office
Sharon J. Lettman, Executive Director/CEO, National Black Justice Coalition
Kate Kendell, Executive Director, National Center for Lesbian Rights
Mara Keisling, Executive Director, National Center for Transgender Equality
Rebecca Fox, Executive Director, National Coalition for LGBT Health
Rea Carey, Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund
Michael Mitchell, Executive Director, National Stonewall Democrats
Gregory Varnum, Executive Director, National Youth Advocacy Coalition
Selisse Berry, Founding Executive Director, Out & Equal Workplace Advocates
Jody Huckaby, Executive Director, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Jo Kenny, Interim Director, Pride at Work AFL-CIO
Masen Davis, Executive Director, Transgender Law Center
For more information, visit United ENDA online.
That is great. But what about UAFA? What is going on with UAFA now?
Comment by Chung Cheng Fang — December 7, 2009 @ 10:49 am
People of NJ, call and write your state legislation and let them know you want gay marriage… bombard them with calls, and let friends know to call as well too! This might be NJ’s only chance the new governor has already stated he would veto it.
Comment by bkbzipper — December 7, 2009 @ 12:16 pm
Certainly a good cause. Certainly can’t understand who and why this would be obstructed from moving to vote and passing. Let us see and give our nation and people a chance before finally heading off to “greener fields”.
Comment by Joe — December 7, 2009 @ 12:48 pm
Chung,
Thanks for your comment. As highlighted in our Immigration Equality eBulletin last week, support for UAFA continues to grow in both the House and Senate. Senator Arlen Specter and Congressman Alan Grayson are the latest co-sponsors of UAFA, and Senator Kaufman of Delaware recently indicated his support as well.
If you’re not signed up for our eBulletin, which is distributed once each month and highlights our most recent work, you can subscribe online here:
http://www.immigrationequality.org/template3.php?pageid=1141
Thanks,
Steve @ Immigration Equality
Comment by Steve at Immigration Equality — December 7, 2009 @ 12:50 pm
Thanks, Steve. Yeah, I hope you are right, and I hope the momentum is gaining at both houses.
Blkbzipper. It is very important that we stay away from gay marriage if we want to gain momentum for UAFA. State gay marriage has very little to do with UAFA’s momentum, and it is political suicide if we keep stressing the importance of marriage in relation to UAFA!
Comment by Chung Cheng Fang — December 7, 2009 @ 3:40 pm
@Chung Cheng Fang: They are not mutually exclusive issues or efforts. We probably have enough resources and energy to fight more than one fronts. Do I understand you to be claiming that a victory in NJ will be detrimental to the UAFA effort?
Comment by Joe — December 7, 2009 @ 7:17 pm
GREAT! As Chung said how about UAFA?I do not see the numbers are anyway close to pass the bill. We are all trying very hard to urge Congress to pass UAFA. And most of us are desperately seeking being together with their partners. As a binational couple,being apart from my life partner for 4 months now,Life has been extremally hard on both of us. I wish there is more we can offer.
Comment by Alex Yan — December 7, 2009 @ 10:53 pm
Of course, it is all about gay rights, but with the lack of leadership and lack of a sense of unity in our own gay community. It is smart to stay away from gay marriage at this point in order for UAFA to gain momentum. UAFA is never about gay marriage, that is why it might pass, it is not as in your face as gay marriage.
Comment by Chung Cheng Fang — December 8, 2009 @ 1:32 am
Why is marriage even mentioned here in this blog? this is about immigration! Marriage is not going to benefit us as we can’t immigrate as a spouse to our loved ones! I understand about gay rights and all the different causes, but those that already live with their loved ones and are only looking at getting married are not giving us here a second thought. Yet we support their causes – and if someone says about educate them …they can go n jump! there are a lot of gay blogs and organizations that don’t even mention (uafa) so why doesn’t someone educate them! people that get thrust into our situation start to panic looking for answers and looking for a way out will only be interested in the (uafa)then. Well to those people I do feel for you….but welcome to our world!
Comment by kev uk — December 8, 2009 @ 10:19 am
As you all prob know by now….NJ is just one hurdle away….stay tuned on Thurs!!
Comment by Joe — December 8, 2009 @ 11:51 am
Yeah, I just don’t understand. The NJ gay marriage has absolutely nothing to do with UAFA, and it is likely going to be turned down by the state senate anyway. I am sometimes just amazed how provincial gay Americans are. They don’t care about other gay bills unless they suffer from certain discrimination. They don’t care about UAFA because it doesn’t affect them. They don’t have to worry about their loved ones visa running out and leaving the country, or being torn apart but the discriminatory immigration system. They just don’t know any better, they keep wanting the gay marriage without realizing a bill like UAFA will open the minds of both houses when it comes to federal gay bill legislation. They are selfish, lack of bigger picture, and they think they suffer a great deal from not being about to get married, I wish they could feel what it feels to face the fear of being seperated by the federal government, this is real discrimination and actually affect a relationship. I resent the fact that they keep fighting for a battle that is losing. I have had enough of state gay marriage, which keeps being defeated from state to state bases. UAFA, repeal of DOMA are way more important for federal rights and benefits than the meaningless, forced state gay marriage. NJ is not going to win the gay marriage, and maybe the defeat of gay marriage in NJ will force the American gay community to rethink its strategy and focus on the repeal of DOMA or bills like UAFA! I hope people like Joe can understand that!
Comment by Chung Cheng Fang — December 8, 2009 @ 3:09 pm
@Chung (#11): Chung, pls don’t worry about me. I understand your perspective…exceedingly well.
Comment by Joe — December 8, 2009 @ 6:47 pm
I don’t think the defeat of the bill in NJ will get them to somehow support UAFA. Just doesn’t work that way. I think it’s also unfair to generalize that people are “selfish” and such…when most probably just don’t know about UAFA.
While we of course would like all the attention to go on UAFA, I don’t see why we should wish for gay marriage to be defeated…when it is something that may benefit ALL of us. And come on, if you think about it, to THEM, as citizens of the US already, they would of course fight for what they need themselves first (rights and benefits as a couple that may not be covered as civil unions). It’s like you would care only about UAFA but not about the immigration rights of the Hispanics or something (maybe you do, I’m just trying to give an example). (Some) people may just be more inclined to fight for what affects them directly. It’s sad, but it’s true. And I don’t think criticizing/condemning them helps anything.
If anything, we should work on educating the rest of the gay community on our cause. If someone chooses to be ignorant, so be it.
Comment by T — December 8, 2009 @ 7:18 pm
Might I humbly suggest we focus on immigration equality on this site? Clearly there are people here who take different views on marriage equality. There are other sites that focus on marriage equality, but debating it here is starting to get divisive and driving us apart. We can all agree on marriage equality, let’s work together on that.
Comment by Rob — December 8, 2009 @ 7:32 pm
Please sign this week’s change.org action, focusing on five Senators to co-sponsor UAFA and include the bill in comprehensive immigration reform. It only takes 30 seconds and you’ll be sending the e-mail to all five Senators at once! There is a new action each week, so please be sure to take action every week:
http://www.change.org/ideas/2008/view_action/urge_sen_klobuchar-graham-kohl-udall-kaufman_to_support_equal_immigration_rights_for_lgbt_couples
Comment by Tom — December 8, 2009 @ 7:54 pm
@Tom (15): Thanks…very helpful and useful redirection! : )) Done….signed..and sent!
Comment by Joe — December 9, 2009 @ 12:23 am
didn’t mean to start a heated discussion, i’ll stick to uafa comments only here from now on … my only wish is to be able to be with my partner, whom I’ve only seen a few weeks over the last couple of years… it’s a struggle every day. Everyday i pray for us to be together, i am fully concentrated on UAFA, but the thought that when we’re together we could get married right away was just hope. Thanks for the passion everyone!
Comment by bkbzipper — December 9, 2009 @ 10:36 am
….DONE!..sent…….
and YES….”Lets Stay on target (uafa).gay marriage will take care of it’self…..
we need UAFA NOW .time for many of us is/has run out, running out!
irrelavant wether married or not…….
( as a side note even if one is married..you still can’t sponsor the other so.they way to look at this
is UAFA first………then you can sponsor one’s partner .then “the so called gay Marriage” can take all the time in the world!
thnx..But I signed done and sent!
Comment by Derek — December 9, 2009 @ 2:50 pm
Congressman Mike Quigley signed on as a co-sponsor
of the Reuniting Families Act (RFA – H.R. 2709) yesterday.
Please thank Congressman Quigley for this!
Phone: (202) 225-4061
Fax: (202) 225-5603
Comment by Tom — December 9, 2009 @ 7:45 pm
Thanks!Heartening news re Mike Quigley. BTW, what is the current status of the RFA, does it or does it not include the LGBT partnership immigration provision? Does anyone know?
Comment by Joe — December 9, 2009 @ 9:03 pm
Ok, if you will allow me to answer my own question (# 20): I reviewed HR 2709 and it does include “permanent partners”…FYI to you all!
Comment by Joe — December 10, 2009 @ 12:14 pm
……
DONE, FAXED, SENT..
to Congressman Quigley……
Comment by Derek — December 11, 2009 @ 5:41 pm
is there anyone else i should be
hitting up (sending, calling, faxing a letter/note etc etc).
there must be others……….or should I start “re-sending’ to previous one’s just to keep the issue in front of them…..!!!!
Comment by Derek — December 12, 2009 @ 10:07 pm
Reminder: http://www.change.org/actions/view/help_repeal_the_defense_of_marriage_act
Just in case you or an ally you know has not yet weighed in on DOMA, just 1300+ votes left to reach the goal!!
Comment by Joe — December 13, 2009 @ 11:59 am
This week’s change.org action is up. Please take 30 seconds and take part – you’ll be contacting five Senators at once, encouraging them to support UAFA and its inclusion in comprehensive immigration reform:
http://www.change.org/ideas/2008/view_action/urge_sen_bayh-rockefeller-shaheen-warner-webb_to_support_equal_immigration_rights_for_lgbt_couples
Comment by Tom T. — December 14, 2009 @ 7:42 am
@25/Tom: Thanks! Signed, sent…DONE!!
Comment by Joe — December 14, 2009 @ 10:35 am
We should focus on the unfair immigration system in USA. That’s the purpose for IE.. I hope all should be united together to fight the unfair immigration right in USA
Comment by Phu Bai — December 14, 2009 @ 3:32 pm
Is CIR still supposed to be introduced this month? And when is the committee supposed to vote on whether UAFA should be sent to the house?
Comment by Sarah — December 14, 2009 @ 9:14 pm
@28: CIR is supposed to be introduced today:
http://luisgutierrez.house.gov/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=1406
Comment by Rick D — December 15, 2009 @ 10:22 am
Isn’t the House immigration reform bill supposed to be introduced today, December 15th, 2009?
Comment by nola — December 15, 2009 @ 11:00 am
@ IE (re Gutierrez bill in blog): Thanks for this basic yet very important information and clarification that this RCC-beholden-Gutierrez proposal IS NOT the CIR. Great Job IE and pls keep it up….to all…remember just a few more days to donate to IE (I am not a member of IE in anyway, nor IRS..LOL) with deductibility for 2009. Whatever you do, pls withdraw your donations to RCC (Roman Catholic Church) and/or the Gutierrez camp… unless you are masochistic.
Comment by Joe — December 16, 2009 @ 6:45 am