(Also at Stonewall)
So recently, Stonewall signed onto ENDA Now's letter asking for immediate action on ENDA. In addition, we've also just drafted letters to our members of Congress asking them to support ENDA. Well, actually Dina Titus and Shelley Berkley are already cosponsors, but Dean Heller has not yet suggested how he will vote this time. If you'd like to join us in asking for ENDA Now, you can draft your own "snail mail letter" using these addresses and/or use this online tool to email your Representative.
Below is the letter I drafted for Stonewall to Dina Titus thanking her for cosponsoring ENDA, and asking her to ask House leadership to get this passed soon.
So recently, Stonewall signed onto ENDA Now's letter asking for immediate action on ENDA. In addition, we've also just drafted letters to our members of Congress asking them to support ENDA. Well, actually Dina Titus and Shelley Berkley are already cosponsors, but Dean Heller has not yet suggested how he will vote this time. If you'd like to join us in asking for ENDA Now, you can draft your own "snail mail letter" using these addresses and/or use this online tool to email your Representative.
Below is the letter I drafted for Stonewall to Dina Titus thanking her for cosponsoring ENDA, and asking her to ask House leadership to get this passed soon.
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The Honorable Dina Titus
U.S. House of Representatives
319 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-4708
April 21, 2010
Dear Representative Titus,
Thank you for cosponsoring HR 3017, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). This legislation is badly needed, as it remains legal in 29 states for employers to discriminate based on sexual orientation, and in 38 states for employers to discriminate based on gender identity or expression. Sadly Nevada is still one of those 38 states that allows workers to be wrongfully harassed, fired, and/or denied a promotion simply because of their gender identity or expression (http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/programs/ENDA/Nevada%20Final.pdf), so many thousands of our workers would see immediate benefits from ENDA’s passage.
Las Vegas CityLife (http://www.lasvegascitylife.com/articles/2010/04/08/news/local_news/iq_35091471.txt) has just recently featured a story on the many hardships transgender workers face here in Nevada, and it has created a horrifying economic disparity where work is nearly impossible to find, the unemployment rate among transgender people can be as high as 35%, and access to needed medical care and financial security is deeply impaired.
This is why we must soon act to pass ENDA. There are too many Nevadans and too many other Americans unfairly suffering just because of who they are. A strong majority of Americans and a strong 65% majority of Nevadans (http://www.columbia.edu/~jrl2124/Lax_Phillips_Gay_Policy_Responsiveness_2009.pdf) support workplace anti-discrimination protection, so there is no reason for any further delays in passing ENDA. Thank you again for cosponsoring ENDA, and please urge your colleagues on the House Education & Labor Committee to mark up HR 3017 as soon as possible so ENDA can receive a full House vote. Please also urge Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer to press for a House floor vote soon so this much needed legislation can pass this year.
Thank you again for your steadfast support for LGBTQ Nevadans’ full civil rights, and we look forward to working with you and this and other important issues affecting our community.
Sincerely yours,
Andrew Davey
Secretary & Political Director
Stonewall Democratic Club of Southern Nevada
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