Half a great Gay Rights Bill

[Ahriman238]

The Senate approved historic legislation Thursday to expand workplace protections for gay, lesbian and transgender Americans. But the bill faces a bleak future in the GOP-led House.

The final vote was 64-32. Ten Republicans voted with all Democrats in favor of passage.

The Senate’s approval of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) comes after a failed attempt in 1996, when the bill -- championed by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts -- failed by a single vote.

Despite the bipartisan vote in the upper chamber, the legislation appears unlikely to get a vote in the House. Republican House Speaker John Boehner opposes the bill, saying through a spokesman this week that it would “increase frivolous litigation and cost American jobs.”

A spokesman for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said there are no plans for the House to take up the legislation.

"The bill is currently not scheduled in the House," said spokesman Rory Cooper. "I hope Majority Leader Reid soon addresses the dozens of House-passed bills that have been ignored in the Senate that create jobs, improve education and create opportunity while Americans struggle to find a good-paying job."

In a statement, President Barack Obama praised the Senate's action, calling it a step towards "realizing the rights and freedoms that are our birthright as Americans."

Before the final vote, Democratic supporters likened the bill to the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act and called on Boehner to bring it to a vote.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters that the GOP will be “sending their party straight to oblivion” if they refuse to bring the legislation up for a vote in the House.

Alluding to past political figures that stood in the way of discrimination-ending laws, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois warned Boehner to “think about their place in history today.”

Obama issued a similar criticism of the House, saying "One party in one house of Congress should not stand in the way of millions of Americans who want to go to work each day and simply be judged by the job they do. Now is the time to end this kind of discrimination in the workplace, not enable it."

______________________________________________________________

The Senate bill attracted some additional GOP support after Reid allowed amendments to further ensure that religious organizations -- along with the United States military -- would be exempted.

One amendment from Republican Rob Portman, R-Ohio, was adopted Wednesday by voice vote. That measure would prevent federal, state and local governments from retaliation against groups exempted from the new law.

An amendment authored by Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Penn., which would have exempted groups that don’t primarily engage in religious work but have an affiliation with a particular faith, failed.

Not thrilled about the religious and military exemptions, but that's not what I'm mad about. It's the way Boehnhead is blocking the House from even scheduling a discussion on the thing. It's clearly because it's his agenda but he whines that the Senate doesn't deal with everything he sends their way either, which bears looking into, I'll admit. Still, this chikenshit stuff is only hurting his and the party's image.

Oh well, I'm sure these men who can't even discuss relatively simple issues in a public forum will be able to hammer out a compromise federal budget within 2 months!

[Lord MJ]

The main thing that the GOP Federally is concerned with is hurting the Dems, winning against the Dems, and not doing things that will shoot themselves in the foot in pursuing that goal.

They've been failing on that last point for the almost 4 years, so they would be inclined to support the ENDA bill to help stop the bleeding.

However, they believe that troubles with Obamacare's launch, and the people in the Individual Market getting cancellation letters, they have the upper hand now against the Dems, therefore there is no longer any need to support things like ENDA. They can win elections and reclaim control of both houses without it.

If Obamacare went more smoothly the GOP political calculus would be different, not supporting ENDA would be another shot in the foot.

[Grandmaster Jogurt]

Can we not call something that provides equal protection for sexual orientation and gender identity a "gay rights bill"?

I mean, the term "LGBT" is dropped for stuff that only deals with gay men, so this is even worse because of that

[SMJB]

Speaker John Boehner opposes the bill, saying through a spokesman this week that it would “increase frivolous litigation and cost American jobs.”

By that logic, why make any new laws at all?

[Ahriman238]

Can we not call something that provides equal protection for sexual orientation and gender identity a "gay rights bill"?

I mean, the term "LGBT" is dropped for stuff that only deals with gay men, so this is even worse because of that

Not trying to dismiss the transgender issue. I just see it as a package deal because I know of no one who supports equal rights for homosexuals who opposes them for transgendered. It seems to me that people who object to the one, usually object to the other.

[Grandmaster Jogurt]

Trans people have a long, loooong history of being specifically attacked so as to make the gay-rights movement have more mainstream appeal. Even with this very subject, employment discrimination acts often have gender identity included until it's stripped away to make it "more likely" for sexual orientation alone to pass. Look at how many more states have protection for orientation but not for gender identity.

The Human Rights Campaign is a huge example of advocates for gay rights actively campaigning against trans rights, just for one example.

[Grandmaster Jogurt]

Or look at how the gay rights movement hijacked the whole thing from trans people; Stonewall was primarily an action done by trans women of colour, yet it's been stolen and viewed now as something done by white cis gay men. Or take a look at gay people who spit disgustingly transphobic and especially transmisogynistic rhetoric. Look at how much easier it is to say the t-slur on television than the f-slur. Look at so many things that show how being not straight and being not cis are not treated at all as one happy package deal in society.

[Mr. Coffee]

Damn, Jogurt, I really had no idea the LGBT community was that devisive. Is that sort of think common or is it more of a fringe type thing?

[Grandmaster Jogurt]

It's sadly very common, with the largest advocacy groups often being examples of trans-exclusive activism. A lot of it goes down along the lines within the movement itself between assimiliationism and queer advocacy, where the former is all about being allowed into society as-is by fitting the current demands while the latter wishes to redefine what's socially acceptable to include people who are currently excluded and oppressed by it.

A lot of it is from different stuff, though; misogynistic gay men who have issues with effeminate cis guys usually have very big issues with transfeminine people, and a lot of people have deep transphobic/transmisogynistic streaks that they don't even examine due to how our society's in the middle of a shift in opinions on homosexuality while we're still sadly in the very early stages of any mass acceptance of trans identities.

The movement as a whole has a lot of other divisions and internal bigotries (other famous ones being racism, biphobia, and stuff like that) too.

[Mr. Coffee]

So the the whole LBGT movement as a whole is essentially a microcosm of mainstream bigotry despite it being in everyone's interests to work together? More things look different the more the look the same, bro.

[Kitsune]

Thought I would misquote Ted Cruz

http://swampland.time.com/2013/11/09/te ... ight-show/

“I support marriage between two people of the same race, but I also think it’s a question for the states. Some states have made decisions one way on gay marriage; some states have made decisions the other way,” Cruz said. “And that’s the great thing about our Constitution, is different states can make decisions depending on the values of their citizens.”

[SMJB]

Damn, Jogurt, I really had no idea the LGBT community was that devisive. Is that sort of think common or is it more of a fringe type thing?

The fact that gays are people just like us implies by definition that a certain number of them are absolute shit, unfortunately.

[Pint0 Xtreme]

The Human Rights Campaign is a huge example of advocates for gay rights actively campaigning against trans rights, just for one example.

I wouldn't say that HRC actively campaigns against trans rights. That would be coming from the anti-LGBT organizations like NOM or FRC. But HRC has been known to throw trans-rights under the bus for the convenience of the LGB portion of sexual minorities. They don't do it very often but it has happened before and it has earned the ire of other LGBT organizations and activists for it.

[Darth Lucifer]

The last few posts make me think of words I've heard spoken before to T-girls I know, "Why can't you just be gay?"

[Ralin]

The last few posts make me think of words I've heard spoken before to T-girls I know, "Why can't you just be gay?"

I’m sure you don’t mean anything by it, but they generally don’t like being called that.

[Darth Lucifer]

Depends on the listener, I guess, no disrespect intended. My context is an all-inclusive term for brevity's sake. Plus the people I spoke of and I refer to ourselves as T-Girls. Personally I think it sounds girly and cute.

[Ralin]

Depends on the listener, I guess, no disrespect intended. My context is an all-inclusive term for brevity's sake. Plus the people I spoke of and I refer to ourselves as T-Girls. Personally I think it sounds girly and cute.

Oh, sorry, I didn’t realize.

It’s just that the term is also used in porn.

[Dalton]

Not thrilled about the religious and military exemptions, but that's not what I'm mad about. It's the way Boehnhead is blocking the House from even scheduling a discussion on the thing.

Actually it's Eric Cantor in his capacity as Majority Leader that's blocking the bill. Because he is an asshole piece of shit hatemongering pile of human garbage.


I am also totally against religious exemptions. We should not EVER codify into law excuses to discriminate against others.

[Kitsune]

I am also totally against religious exemptions. We should not EVER codify into law excuses to discriminate against others.

Yes, ask yourself, what about if they were black?