Advocate.com – Kerry Eleveld, The Advocate
Immediately following the historic Senate vote to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the federal hate-crimes law, controversy erupted over the Employment Non-Discrimination Act now under consideration in the House of Representatives.
The Democratic House leadership is considering stripping protections for transgender people from ENDA after a preliminary vote count found the measure would not pass if it had trans-inclusive language.
?The fact of the matter is, we?ve been canvassing this — the votes just are not there for a trans-inclusive bill,? said Steven Adamske, spokesman for Rep. Barney Frank, sponsor of the original bill. Reps. Frank and Tammy Baldwin, the only openly gay members of Congress, called for the count after they learned House speaker Nancy Pelosi feared the measure lacked enough support to pass.