The Senate on Thursday passed a historic bill to prevent discrimination against gay and transgender employees — sending the bill to the House where GOP leaders have signaled that it’s dead on arrival.
Ten Republicans joined all Democrats in a 64-32 bipartisan vote. House Speaker John A. Boehner said earlier this week he will not bring it up for a vote.
“The bill is currently not scheduled in the House,” Rory Cooper, a spokesman for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, said Thursday. “I hope Majority Leader Reid soon addresses the dozens of House-passed bills that have been ignored in the Senate that create jobs, improve education and create opportunity while Americans struggle to find a good-paying job.”
Why on earth would anyone want to be seen as someone who believes discrimination in the work place is a good thing? House Republicans who are obviously the ones blocking this bill need to rethink their actions. Would they approve of someone being discriminated against if that person were a different religion or race? If so, would they admit to it?
Somehow discrimination against gays is one of the last acceptable forms of prejudice. Somehow people think its cool to gay bash and they think nothing of it. Society is getting less tolerant of obvious bigotry. To refuse to hear a bill that bans open discrimination in the workplace because of someone’s sexual orientation just reeks of bigotry.
Shame on Speaker Boehner for his endorsement of bigotry. I expected more from him.
“Why on earth would anyone want to be seen as someone who believes discrimination in the work place is a good thing? ”
Moon, despite how you hear Americans are all for LGBT rights, there really is a significant portion of our society that I’d dead set against anything to do with the LGBT community or their rights. And they vote. They are Catholics, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, most evangelicals and they are a big block of votes. One person’s bigotry is another person’s religious freedom/right. Take off your rose colored glasses and look at the real world-it is raw and nasty for lots of people.
It’s one thing to not like gayness, etc. It’s one thing not to like Jehovah’s Witnesses, Catholics, MOrmons etc. Its another thing to discriminate against them at work. People can be bigoted and just keep it to themselves. I have a few classes of people I don’t like but I don’t think it is acceptable to go public with it.
That’s OK but I suggest you may be in the minority as far is the house is concerned. There are lots of folks who think their (LGBT folks) very everyday life/existence is an abomination and don’t want them anywhere around. This is not bigotry-it is their God fearing belief and who are you or I to condemn their religious belief? Go ahead–cast the first stone.
I think I will. And yes it is bigotry, the same as it would be any time someone is intolerant of others because of their beliefs. The WHY isn’t important. I don’t care what they believe. I care how they act. There are people who feel that way about blacks, Hispanics, Jews, Catholics. I don’t care how they feel either. I care how they act.
Those people can guard their property and homes against invading gangs of _____.(Gays, Lesbians, drag queens, Catholics, Muslims, Jews, Blacks whatever….) They can come to work and be civilized. NO one is asking anyone to change their beliefs. There is just a standard of behavior at work and everyone is expected to abide by it.
You’re missing the point-these folks think they are an abomination and should not even exist. Their religious beliefs and their life are all one thing-kinda like radical Islamists. Their God has no place or forgiveness for LGBT folks even though believe they should love their neighbor as they love themselves unless, of course, they are queer. Oh shit-the “Q” word!
This is a very slippery slope that we are going down. How much is an employer supposed to do, how much are they required to tolerate. For example – if your favorite NFL player announces he wants to become a transgender female – is the team now required to build a new locker room, private bath – in each stadium that the team plays in? I have seen this situation first hand (not an NFL player) – and it is not pretty. I am all for the anti-discrimination part but not so sure about the employer needing to cater to the whim of the employee.
Allow me to referee… Moon makes the point that workplace discrimination due to sexual orientation should be legally prohibited the same as discrimination based on gender, race, and national origin are. (one point for Moon). George makes the point that some people believe that discrimination against the LGBT community is a their religious right which those people believe is a true statement (one point for George). Then Moon counters with re-stating the same position made before (no points). George counters with re-stating his earlier position he made before (no points). Score is tied and no winners can be declared. Now allow me to predict the future… workplace discrimination was commonplace in our past. Women were restricted to low level positions, blacks were equally restricted, Jews were barred from many firms altogether. Gays were not allowed into the military and kept from attaining security clearances which capped their professional mobility. Catholics, Mormons, and the handicapped were all prevented from attaining their full potential because of discrimination. Today, we are removing those restrictions, one by one. The workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation is the next step and it will become the law. Maybe not this year, or the next, but it will happen.
The House GOP is just delaying the inevitable. When they realize that restricting access to jobs because of sexual preference does not make gay people disappear, they will ultimately surrender and vote for freedom for all citizens.
Pat: Cutting off your junk is not a whim!!!!@Pat.Herve
I believe the courts have ruled about the bathroom situation. Transgendered people may use the wannabe bathroom.
Frankly, I don’t want to share a stall with anyone, regardless of gender.
Perhaps in their infinite wisdom, (choke sputter gasp) the House could anticipate problems and chose the right language to start with.
Transgendered people are in the work force now. They aren’t going to instantly appear because of legislation. We just can’t discriminate against them.
Addressing religion: back around 1993, the Civil Rights Act was amended by Congress to provide for Religious Accodamation in the Workplace. It was in response to issues arising how people would put religious items in their cubicle/office in the general work population (I say that to seperate it from direct religious workplaces). Also included was provisions for a person to have the time off to attend religious ceremonies related to specific “holy days”, and to provide for fasting periods dictated by their religion. Rules were set to define the limit the employer had to go to support.
There are also several bills running around Congress to further add to Religion in the Workplace to further reduce discrimination.
So what religious items could a person have at work?
In my head, I am not the most open minded about this issue either. I have seen people running off their church bulletins on company time using company equipment and paper. I have had religious tracts left in my mail center. I have had people attempt to recruit me in the work place until I was uncomfortable. I have seen people be excluded because they weren’t part of the “club.” Not just excluded from religious activities but also excluded from other work environment types of activities.
I don’t mind people wearing religious symbols in the form of jewelry but at what point does an employer have the right to step in and put a stop to it?
Obviously the equipment issue is just stealing. Recruiting is harassment. Some of the other stuff is more subtle. I have also seen some of exclusion over other issues. Badly.
@Moon-howler
I’ve always like the Sikh religious practice of always being armed, and therefore carrying a knife.
I guess there are places where that isn’t allowed now.
Killing with a knife is mighty personal.
@Moon-howler
Moon, your points about the tracts and proselytizing, in part, are part of the reasons the Act came about. There had to be a balance between “Freedom of Religion” and the rights of those in a workplace who did not those overt activities.
As to religious items, the Act sought a balance when it came to wearing of religious items and dress codes of employers. Also allowed, within limitis, were pictures, icons, statues…or other religious accudiments.
I only posted about the Act as discrimination – in this case religious discrimination – can be a double-edged sword when employers are trying to accomodate in the workplace. Sometimes government has to set the rules.
For the life of me, I don’t see why pictures and statues are needed in the workplace.
I believe that there are religious exemptions in the bill, like not forcing religious institutions to hire openly gay people. Not sure though.
I don’t know why a gay would want to go work for a church that said he or she was an abomination.
Well, I guess the broader question is why do people feel compelled to say anything anyway? People think that marrying outside your race is an unnatural, they can believe that, but they can’t make your work environment miserable if you in an interracial marriage. Period. Keep your comments to yourself and do your job. I’m not sure why its EVER acceptable to comment on anyone’s behavior in the workplace unless it effects their actual job skill. I would say that if I knew a rabid anti semite worked with me. As long as they aren’t handing out their belief system in the job place, their do their work, and treat me with respect, their personal life is simply none of my business.
Well, I think you have a right not to be made sick in the work place. Ever worked with someone with bad BO or who doused themselves with perfume?
That has nothing to do with race,. religion or sexual orientation though, just inconsideration.
I also think that it isn’t unreasonable to expect certain dress codes.