The Employment Non-Discrimination
Act (ENDA) from 1995 to 2002

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Support for ENDA during the 1990's:

Polls have consistently shown that American adults support equal employment protection for persons of all sexual orientations:

 "walked away from the hearing both sad and angry...I walked away angry because there were actually church leaders who were there to support the bill. As Christians, our response to this issue should be to love the sinner and hate the sin. It is infuriating to hear church leaders suggest that we are showing love for the sinner by accepting his sinful behavior. Christians ought to be helping them to escape a sinful, harmful lifestyle. I can understand how those without Christ would defend their lifestyle. However, it is inexcusable that Christians would defend lifestyles which are contrary to Scripture."

Dodson appears to have been misinformed. Thomas and Valentine were not at the Senate committee to promote, accept or defend homosexuals. They were trying to give them job security.

Many large companies have gone on record as supporting ENDA.

Winnie Stachelberg, legislative director of the Human Rights Campaign said

"Employment protections [for lesbian and gay workers] have really emerged as a mainstream, bipartisan issue."

In 1996-SEP, Matt Coles, director of the Lesbian and Gay Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union" stated:

"We are on the verge of passing legislation that will finally ensure fairness for all American workers, regardless of sexual orientation...While we have a lot of work ahead of us in the coming days, the momentum is clearly on our side."

He was wrong.

Opposition to ENDA during the 1990's:

As one might expect, much of the opposition comes from conservative Christianity. One example is:

Later ENDA developments during the 1990's:

Says commented that the bill:

"is based on a fundamental principle most of us share: Americans should be judged at work because of their performance at work...It would guarantee that gay men and lesbians have the same opportunity the rest of us now take for granted: to get and keep a job based on the merits of the work we do and not on some characteristic we have that is entirely irrelevant to the value of our work." Another sponsor, Rep. Barney Frank, (D-Mass), said "This bill simply says that you will be judged in the work place on the merits. Period...There is absolutely nothing to be said against it."

Robert Knight, director of cultural studies for The Family Research Council, commented:

"It will outlaw Christianity, Orthodox Judaism and every belief that says homosexuality is wrong...It will expand government power and give a massive weapon to gay activist lawyers to harass employers all over America."

The FRC is one of the main conservative Christian organizations in the area of social policy. 

Kerry Lobel, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force stated on 1997-JUN-10:

"The message of ENDA is clear and straightforward. Discrimination is wrong. We look forward to the day when gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people no longer have to fear the loss of their jobs on the basis of their sexual orientation. When that day comes, our society will have taken another step forward in assuring justice and equality for all of its citizens."

On 1997-JUN, ENDA has the support of 34 senators and 146 members of the House. Although it is almost certain to die for the next few times that it is presented to Congress, many political observers feel that its eventual passage is inevitable. Republican leaders have vowed to not bring the bill to the house floor for a vote. There is every indication that the general public is giving increasing support to the concept of equal rights for persons of all sexual orientations.

"With 43 Senate co-sponsors, and poll numbers that suggest that a strong majority of Americans support equal opportunity in the workplace, ENDA is expected to pass the Senate, giving the GLBT community another rare congressional victory."

However, Republicans in the House prevented ENDA and a bill to expand hate crime legislation to include women and homosexuals from proceeding.

References used in the above essay:

The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.

1. Associated Press, "Shays Brings Back Legislation to Ban Anti-Gay Discrimination", 1997-JUN-10 (PM)
2. J.E. Rigdon, "Overcoming a Deep-Rooted Reluctance, More Firms Advertise to Gay Community,", Wall Street Journal, 1991-JUL-18, Page 1B
3. Tom Strode, "Church leaders endorse ENDA; SBC rep decries their defense" at: http://www.erlc.com/
4. President Clinton's statement at: http://ofcn.org/cyber.serv/
5. AFL/CIO statemnt and a list of organizations supporting ENDA can be found on National Pride at Work web site at: http://www.igc.org/
6. The KBHC home page is at: http://www.iglou.com/
7. Stuart Shepard, "ACLU vs. Kentucky Baptist Homes," at: http://www.family.org/
8. "Baptist Homes for Children fires lesbian," Kentucky Citizen Digest, 1999-MAR. Available at: http://www.tffky.org/
9. "Alicia Pedreira: Therapist fired for being lesbian," at: http://gaytoday.badpuppy.com/