America is changing in many ways, socially, morally, and politically. Your member of Congress needs your help to decide what to do on the 'difficult' question of whether we should continue to allow employment discrimination based on being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would abolish such discrimination, is being voted on this week. The "Baldwin Amendment" is an amendment that would include both 'sexual orientation' and 'gender identity' in the bill. Some members of Congress are afraid to include 'gender identity' because they believe that citizens do not support protecting people from this type of job discrimination. Without this language, the bill will not protect gay and transgender people who don't conform to gender expectations. Call 202-224-3121 and tell them you support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the Baldwin Amendment.
As a transgender person, I have had to be very concerned with this question of whether I am allowed to hold a job. I have had employers laugh in my face and say cruel, hurtful things. I know I don't want an America where this is done with impunity, and I know you don't either. Do you need to go out on a protest march or write letters to the editor? No, it's much simpler than that. Call 202-224-3121 and tell them you support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the Baldwin Amendment.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.These words begin the Declaration of Independence, declared in Congress on July 4, 1776.
Our law is supposed to honor these deepest principles of our government, but instead, millions of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender citizens are still subject to employment discrimination based on characteristics unrelated to job performance without legal redress. It is way past time for America to declare itself free of job discrimination. Call 202-224-3121 and tell them you support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the Baldwin Amendment.
The author of the Declaration of Independence knew that standing up to abolish the wrongs of society is not an easy task:
"[A]ll experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.In 1776, the means of protest was much more difficult, for which the signers of the Declaration said: "we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor." In 2007, we need not sacrifice our lives, our fortunes or our sacred honor. All we need to do is pick up the phone and call 202-224-3121.
Don't be silent.
Call 202-224-3121 and tell them you support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the Baldwin Amendment.
For more information, see http://unitedenda.org
