LGBT community refuses to abandon transgender inclusion in ENDA

Our collective position remains clear and consistent regarding the status of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Our organizations oppose the removal of protections for transgender people from ENDA. We would also oppose any employment nondiscrimination bill that did not protect transgender people.

We are shocked and upset that, according to the Washington Blade, influential members of the House of Representatives have apparently made a decision to remove protections for transgender people from the bill. If true, this decision was made without consultation with leaders of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

While we don’t doubt the sincerity of congressional leadership’s intent to take action and be helpful to the LGBT community, we cannot disagree more with this strategy. We will continue to work with LGBT-supportive members of Congress to urge their colleagues to immediately drop this strategy.

BiNet USA
Equality Federation
Equality Project
Family Pride
Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders
Garden State Equality
International Federation of Black Prides
Lambda Legal
Mautner Project
National Association of LGBT Community Centers
National Black Justice Coalition
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Center for Transgender Equality
National Coalition of Anti-Violence Projects
National Coalition for LGBT Health
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Inc.
National Stonewall Democrats
National Transgender Advocacy Coalition
National Youth Advocacy Coalition
Out and Equal
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Pride At Work, AFL-CIO