PoliticalAffairs.net – By Joel Wendland
Some 300 national and local LGBT civil rights organizations have formed an alliance called United ENDA to oppose a stripped down version of the Employment Non-discrimination Act (ENDA) that excludes protections for transgender individuals from job discrimination.
The bill was originally introduced by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) in the spring and included provisions to protect transgender individuals from discrimination. Under pressure from Democratic leaders that an inclusive ENDA might fail to pass in the Democratic-controlled House, Frank withdrew protections for transgender people.
The action angered many LGBT civil rights organizations and allies who had lobbied hard over the past decade to include transgender individuals in the new legislation.