Subject: Parents of Gays Head to Capitol to Lobby for Employment Non-Discrimination Act
From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 19 Mar 1996 18:50:45 -0500

________________________________________________________

NEWS from the
Human Rights Campaign

1101 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
email:  [email-masked]
WWW:    http://www.hrcusa.org
________________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 19, 1996
                                
        PARENTS OF GAYS HEAD TO CAPITOL TO LOBBY FOR BILL
            TO PROTECT AMERICANS FROM JOB DISCRIMINATION
                                BASED ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION
                                
     Families Press for Passage of Employment Non-Discrimination Act

                            FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO OUR
                               WEBSITE AT http://www.hrcusa.org

WASHINGTON -- Almost 200 parents and friends of gay men and lesbians from all
over the country traveled to the U.S. Capitol today to lobby for a bill to
prevent discrimination in hiring, firing and promotion based on sexual
orientation, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
     The parents -- members of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and
Gays (PFLAG) -- came from at least 27 states, according to Michael Roybal,
HRC's chief legislative counsel.
     They lobbied members of Congress on behalf of the Employment
Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), a bill that would protect Americans from job
discrimination based on sexual orientation. ENDA would prohibit
discrimination, quotas and preferential treatment on the job.  It would not
apply to religious organizations, small businesses or the military.  "Getting
our
message from families to members of Congress is critical to ENDA's chances,"
Roybal said. "Our polling has shown that most people are not aware that
people can be fired from their jobs just for being gay or lesbian, and that
most Americans think that is unfair."
     A May 1995 poll found that 74 percent of Americans favor preventing job
discrimination against gay people, but that 80 percent are not aware that gay
people are not covered by current
civil rights laws. 
     The parents also took part in a welcoming reception at the White House
and a congressional briefing with officials from HRC, PFLAG and members of
Congress.
     "Anti-gay job discrimination hurts families," said HRC Executive
Director Elizabeth Birch, "and these outstanding parents are here today to
let Congress know that their gay and lesbian sons and daughters deserve the
same basic equal rights in the workplace that most other Americans already
have. It's a family issue, and these families are leading the way."  
     ENDA currently has 131 co-sponsors in the House and 30 in the Senate.
ENDA has been endorsed by the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the
nation's largest civil rights coalition,
representing more than 185 religious, civil rights and labor organizations.
Numerous corporations have also endorsed the bill, including Quaker Oats,
Apple Computer, Harley Davidson, RJR
Nabisco and Xerox.
     Last October, President Clinton endorsed ENDA, making him the first
president in history to support a national bill to include gay people in
basic legal protection from discrimination. ENDA's lead co-sponsors in the
104th Congress are Sens. James Jeffords, R-Vt., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.  
     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.
                              
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