Workers.org – By Leslie Feinberg
When the Democrats are the minority in Congress, they promise “a chicken in every pot” if voters elevate them to the majority. Once the Democrats hold numerical sway on Capitol Hill, however, many hopeful activists learn the hard way that their goose is cooked.
In a Sept. 27 back-room maneuver, House Democratic leaders cut transgender people out of the H.R. 2015, known as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act—ENDA. The wording in H.R. 2015 would have made it illegal to bar employment or promotions or to fire a worker based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
The new version—H.R. 3685—deleted protection against discrimination based on “gender-related identity, appearance, or mannerisms or other gender-related characteristics of an individual.