LGBT community continues fight against discrimination
Barney Frank introduces new bill to aid in gender equality
Tori Colozzi
Issue date: 11/14/07 Section: Features
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As George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and other American forefathers laid out the blueprints for legal America, they included the rights of "freedom, equality and justice for all." When women, African Americans and other minorities began to demand suffrage and fair treatment, the definition of the word "all" was reconsidered.
Now, Congress is debating over H.R. 2015, H.R. 3685 and H.R. 3686, all introduced by Congressman Barney Frank of the the fourth Congressional District of Massachusetts. With the introduction of these bills, we may be seeing a change within society.
Currently, in 31 states, employees can be legally fired for being lesbian, gay or bisexual. In even more states, it is legal for transgendered people to be fired or refused employment. Recently, the Employment Non-Discrimination act (ENDA) and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) group have, along with Frank, been attempting to receive fairer treatment in the workplace for those of different sexual orientations or alternate lifestyles. "Workers should be considered on their work merits and ability to meet the job requirements," junior Justine Clark said, in agreement with Frank.
On April 24, Frank, along with 171 cosponsors, introduced H.R. 2015, which is a bill dedicated to prohibiting "employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender equality." By Sept. 27, a very important and socially telling change had taken place to the bill. The most noticeable change was the once encompassing, solid bill had been carefully divided.
"We have this situation where there is more prejudice in this society today against people who are transgender than against people who are gay and lesbian, partly because we have been working longer at dealing with the sex orientation prejudice," Frank said to the House of Representatives on Oct. 9, continuing, "partly because the greater the difference, the greater the prejudice is to start, the more people fail to identify, the more they are put off by differences, especially when those differences come in matters of the greatest personal intimacy."
Now, Congress is debating over H.R. 2015, H.R. 3685 and H.R. 3686, all introduced by Congressman Barney Frank of the the fourth Congressional District of Massachusetts. With the introduction of these bills, we may be seeing a change within society.
Currently, in 31 states, employees can be legally fired for being lesbian, gay or bisexual. In even more states, it is legal for transgendered people to be fired or refused employment. Recently, the Employment Non-Discrimination act (ENDA) and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) group have, along with Frank, been attempting to receive fairer treatment in the workplace for those of different sexual orientations or alternate lifestyles. "Workers should be considered on their work merits and ability to meet the job requirements," junior Justine Clark said, in agreement with Frank.
On April 24, Frank, along with 171 cosponsors, introduced H.R. 2015, which is a bill dedicated to prohibiting "employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender equality." By Sept. 27, a very important and socially telling change had taken place to the bill. The most noticeable change was the once encompassing, solid bill had been carefully divided.
"We have this situation where there is more prejudice in this society today against people who are transgender than against people who are gay and lesbian, partly because we have been working longer at dealing with the sex orientation prejudice," Frank said to the House of Representatives on Oct. 9, continuing, "partly because the greater the difference, the greater the prejudice is to start, the more people fail to identify, the more they are put off by differences, especially when those differences come in matters of the greatest personal intimacy."
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