Call to action on ENDA from HRC

		Equal Opportunity. Unless you're GLBT. Tell Congress to end anti-gay workplace discrimination! Dear Friend, You love your job. Your supervisors give you top ratings. Then, one day, a colleague finds out you're gay. A week later, you find your desk emptied into a box. You're fired. The reason? Your sexual orientation. Here's the worst part: firing you for being gay was 100% legal. It's an outrage. In 31 states, you can be fired solely because you're gay – and if you're transgender, that's 39 states. After years spent laying the groundwork, the Human Rights Campaign is poised to end this injustice by helping pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). This vital legislation is likely to come up for a vote in Congress in the coming weeks – and we need your voice. Tell your Representative to stand up for GLBT equality in the workplace before the House votes this month! What's even more outrageous is that the radical right is fighting to keep this legislation from passing. They're using scare tactics to fire up their base, saying things like: "ENDA will force businesses with 15 or more employees to accommodate homosexuals, drag queens, transsexuals, and even she-males in their employment practices and facilities."1 It's absurd. And their campaign to enshrine hatred and bigotry in the American legal code will only intensify – they're putting major resources into blocking our progress, by flooding Congress with lies and misinformation. We need your help to make sure your lawmakers know: Current federal law protects workers against discrimination based on their race, gender, religion, national origin, and disability—but NOT based on sexual orientation or gender identity. ENDA is NOT about special treatment. It does not excuse poor job performance. It simply gives gay and transgendered workers the same rights and protections as their colleagues. Nearly 90% of Fortune 500 companies now include sexual orientation in their non-discrimination policies. It's time the government caught up with the private sector. Our momentum is growing in the House. And Americans overwhelmingly agree that GLBT people should have equal employment opportunities. But sometimes it only takes a vocal anti-gay minority to derail legislation like this. We must spread the truth, today. Send a message to your Representative in support of GLBT workers' rights. We live in a country that was founded upon the principle of equal opportunity. Yet centuries later, that principle does not apply to GLBT Americans. Thank you for helping us end this hypocrisy – so that millions of Americans can work without fear. Warmly, Joe Solmonese President