Subject: ACTION ALERT: ENDA
From: James Yorton <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 20 Oct 1997 20:23:14 -0500 (CDT)

[ submitted by Human Rights Campaign <[email-masked]> ]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, Oct. 20, 1997   
     
            ACT NOW FOR EQUAL RIGHTS IN THE WORKPLACE
     
Urge Congress to Pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA),
        Bill Number S. 869 in Senate, H.R. 1858 in House
     
In the wake of the Oct. 23 U.S. Senate hearing on the Employment 
Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), now is the time to build momentum for the 
measure among our lawmakers in Congress.
     
        ENDA would protect Americans from job discrimination based on 
sexual orientation, which remains legal in most states. ENDA would prohibit 
preferential treatment and quotas, and it would not apply to religious 
organizations, small businesses or the military. Last year, it came within 
one vote of passage in the Senate.
     
        Until ENDA becomes law, many of us will continue to work in fear of 
discrimination -- without any basic civil rights protection under the law. 
Without ENDA, outside of a handful of states and cities, employers can 
still fire good workers on the mere suspicion that they might be gay. And 
while most people oppose this sort of discrimination, without ENDA it 
remains widespread and legal.
     
        In April, President Clinton and Vice President Gore  reaffirmed 
their strong support for the bill, and the Human Rights Campaign released 
the results of a new bipartisan poll showing that 68 percent of voters 
favor passage of ENDA. The poll found support for the measure is strong 
across party lines and in every region of the country.
     
        Last November, a poll conducted for HRC by Greenberg Research Inc. 
also found that an impressive 63 percent of Christians favor such 
legislation, when informed of the current lack of legal protection from job 
discrimination based on sexual orientation. ENDA already has the support of 
the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, a broad coalition of religious, 
labor and civil rights groups. The bill also was endorsed recently by The 
Interfaith Alliance, representing a diverse constituency of people of faith.
     
        At its reintroduction, ENDA had already earned a record number of 
cosponsors -- but more are needed to move forward from the Oct. 23 Senate 
hearing on the measure.
     
                                Act Now
     
        Urge your U.S. senators and representative to protect Americans 
from job discrimination based on sexual orientation by supporting and 
cosponsoring the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). Refer to the 
bill by its full name and number -- S. 869 in the Senate, and H.R. 1858 in 
the House.
     
        Call your senators and representative through the Capitol 
switchboard at (202) 224-3121. If you aren't sure who your members of 
Congress are, just ask the switchboard operator and you will be informed 
and then connected.  You can also send electronic messages to Congress 
through the Human Rights Campaign's online action center at 
http://www.hrc.org. Write to Congress through the mail as well. Include 
your name and address, and send your politely worded letter to:
     
The Honorable _______                        The Honorable _______
U.S. Senate                                  U.S. House of Representatives 
Washington, DC 20510                         Washington, DC 20515
     
        The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian and gay 
political organization, with members throughout the country. It effectively 
lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates the public to 
ensure that lesbian and gay Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, 
at work and in the community. To join, call (800) 777-4723.
     
                                - 30 -
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