From: Hrccomm@aol.com Date: Fri, 20 Oct 1995 11:15:53 -0400 Subject: President Clinton Endorses the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) _________________________________________________________________ NEWS from the Human Rights Campaign 1101 14th Street NW Washington, DC 20005 email: communications@hrcusa.org WWW: http://www.hrcusa.org _________________________________________________________________ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, October 20, 1995 PRESIDENT ENDORSES EMPLOYMENT NON-DISCRIMINATION ACT Cites Current Lack of Protection From Anti-Gay Job Discrimination ********************************** SEE THE HRC WEBSITE FEATURE STORY, THANK THE PRESIDENT AND USE HRC'S ONLINE ACTION CENTER TO URGE URGE YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO CO-SPONSOR ENDA! http://www.hrcusa.org ********************************** Washington -- A top White House adviser today announced that President Clinton has endorsed a popular bill that would prohibit job discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Currently, no federal law protects Americans from being fired, refused work or otherwise discriminated against in the workplace merely for being lesbian or gay. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which was reintroduced in June with unprecedented bipartisan support, is backed by the civil rights community, major employers and voters of all political stripes. Lead co-sponsors in the 104th Congress are Sens. James Jeffords (R-Vt.) and Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.). The legislation explicitly prohibits job discrimination, quotas and preferential treatment on the basis of sexual orientation. It would not apply to religious organizations, small businesses, or the military, and it would not require employers to provide equal benefits to the same-sex partners of employees. "I have the authorization of the President of the United States to announce today the Clinton Administration's support of legislation to protect all Americans from discrimination in the workplace," said Senior Adviser to the President George Stephanopoulos in a speech to the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association. "Today President Clinton has written to Senator Kennedy restating this Administration's opposition to job discrimination and endorsing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act." The Human Rights Campaign, which has played a lead role in championing the bill, has documented cases of job discrimination in every region of the country in which people have lost their jobs or otherwise been treated unfairly at work merely for being perceived as gay or lesbian. "People should not be fired from their jobs for a reason that has nothing to do with their abilities," said Human Rights Campaign Executive Director Elizabeth Birch. "Today in America, it's perfectly legal to fire someone for being gay or lesbian. The President stands with the vast majority of Americans in supporting equal rights in the workplace for lesbian and gay citizens." Public opinion research conducted for the Human Rights Campaign by Republican and Democratic polling firms shows that majorities of voters, regardless of party affiliation, oppose job discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and support equal rights for gay and lesbian Americans. In a poll of people who voted in the 1994 elections, more than 70 percent said gays "should have equal rights in terms of hiring and firing." The figure included 65 percent of Republicans, 71 percent of Independents and 77 percent of Democrats. Polling data also shows that, while most Americans favor preventing job discrimination against gay people, most are not aware that such discrimination is still legal. A May 1995 poll by Lake Research, Inc., found that 74 percent of Americans favor preventing job discrimination against gay people, but 80 percent are not aware that gay people are not covered by current civil rights law. Citing the need for public education, Birch says that "as more people learn that hardworking lesbian and gay Americans face widespread job discrimination with no protection under federal law, support keeps growing for equal rights in the workplace." In Congress, ENDA currently has 29 co-sponsors in the Senate and 128 in the House of Representatives. A majority of House members and nearly two-thirds of the Senate have also indicated to the Human Rights Campaign that sexual orientation is not a consideration in their employment practices. "This bill provides equal protection to all workers from unfair treatment on the job," Birch said. "It affects real people like Cheryl Summerville, an award-winning cook at a Cracker Barrel restaurant who lost her job when the company fired all of its gay and lesbian staff. Throughout the nation, the Human Rights Campaign has documented case after case of Americans who have been treated unfairly at work, only to find that they have no basic recourse under the law. ENDA would change that, establishing a level playing field in the workplace." ENDA has been championed by the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the nation's largest civil rights coalition representing more than 185 organizations. Among the major employers that have endorsed the bill are Quaker Oats, Apple Computer, Harley Davidson, Merrill Lynch, RJR Nabisco and Xerox. A growing number of the country's most successful companies also include lesbian and gay people under their non-discrimination policies. Labor organizations like the AFL-CIO, United Steel Workers of America and Service Employees International Union support the legislation, along with religious leaders from organizations such as the National Council of Churches, Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. "Today's endorsement is a historic step forward in our movement for equal rights," Birch said. "President Clinton is doing his part to heal the divisions that plague this country. He will be remembered in history as a President who stood for the principles of fairness and equality for everyone." In a survey conducted last year for Newsweek, 91 percent of gay and lesbian people cited "equal rights in the workplace" as the most important issue they face. The Human Rights Campaign, the country's largest national lesbian and gay political organization, envisions an America where lesbian and gay people are ensured of their basic equal rights -- and can be open, honest, and safe at home, at work, and in the community. For more information on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, go to the "Issues Explained" feature on our World Wide Web site http://www.hrcusa.org or contact the Human Rights Campaign at (202) 628-4160. - 30 -