The fact:
The U.S. House of Representatives successfully passed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) on 11/7/07 by a vote of 235 to 184, a bill which adds “sexual orientation” to a list of federally protected classes under a 1964 act that prohibits job discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
So, gay people are on the way to having security in their employment now.
Sounds like a good thing, doesn't it?
More civil protections for Americans = better for America, right?
Well... depends who you ask.
The bigot spin:
Conservatives Blast ENDA Bill for Restricting Religious Freedom | Christianpost.com
“ENDA would unconstitutionally force business owners to abandon their faith at the workplace door and adopt a view of sexual morality which runs directly counter to central tenets of every major world religion and thousands of years of history,” said Barber.
“It’s hard to imagine the Framers agreeing that newfangled ‘gay rights,’ based on changeable sexual behaviors, should trump the First Amendment,” he added.
First Amendment Trampled with ENDA Passage
Congress apparently believes it has carte blanche authority to nullify any constitutional provision which it finds bothersome. In this case, they've drawn a black line through the free exercise clause of the First Amendment."
"This bill represents the goose that laid the golden egg for homosexual activist attorneys and, if signed into law, will open the floodgates for lawsuits against employers who wish to live out their faith," concluded Barber.
The truth:
These bigots actually think the first amendment says they can discriminate against gay people in the workplace, and that the freedom to "live out their faith" means having the power to legally fire people for being gay.
I don't know which version of the Bill of Rights they are reading, but mine says nothing like that.
The Bill of Rights
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; ...
So your relgion actually calls for firing gay people? Find me that verse in the Bible. "And Jesus spake, and said 'Blessed are those that fire gay people, for they deserveth not to make a living and feed their families.'"
Even if this version of ENDA goes down to a veto by anti-gay (and anti-child) Bush, pro-equality forces are already hard at work on a T-inclusive bill for 2009. And the next president, a democrat, will sign it into law.
So, enjoy your hateful religion, bigots. Believe whatever you like, and hate whoever you feel you must. But don't expect that you can legally force it on other people, ruining their careers and lives, and get away with it.
Your days are numbered.
