Openly gay Representative Barney Frank contests Lambda Legal’s assertion that the new and incapacitated ENDA doesn’t fully protect the gays:
The sexual orientation language in H.R. 3685 is the same language that has been in every version of ENDA since its first introduction in 1994. There is nothing in case law or in ENDA’s history to indicate that absent gender identity coverage, the bill would inadequately protect gay, lesbian and bisexual people from discrimination.
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No words have been added or subtracted that make it easier to fire a gay man because of some effort to transform homophobia into dislike of effeminacy and I believe the law continues to be a strong bulwark against that.
As for religious exemptions, Frank insists he and his political peers always intended on expanding their breadth.
Heather_L_James
There is no case law? That is the most ignorant argument I have ever heard. There isn’t any precednent because there has never been any definitive federal law to protect any of us. You have to enact a law before people will try to skirt it, you smarmy tool. Can we please get some queer representation at the federal level that isn’t just another member of the old boys club who happens to be open about his penchant for cock sucking?
jbran
Barney Frank is PRAGMATIC. He labors under no ambitions for higher office and his exactly where he wants to be as a politician. And, he’s freaking smart. There’s nothing smarmy about him and I, for one, am glad to have someone like him in Congress.
NeoAurelianus
Despite being a politician Barney Frank has been and is one of the few consistently pro-LBGT Representatives. Without reading the entire interview or speech I can’t judge his support of ENDA. It does concern me if transsexuals are left with less protection but I’m honestly not up-to-speed with specifics of the bill.
Sure, he’s done things I wish he had not but no politician (or friend, relative, or acquaintance, or even me, for that matter) hasn’t. It’s better to have passed ENDA with faults than not to have passed it at all. ENDA can be amended if loopholes exist for transgendered people’s rights.
NeoAurelianus
Damn. I wish I’d read more about ENDA before making the previous post.
It looks like a real stinkeroo and, like much of ADA or other toothless laws, isn’t worth much, but it’s a start even if several back-steps were made before making it.
I’ll stick with jbran — I trust Frank’s pragmatism more than I do most other politicians.
The HRC hasn’t had my support for years for previous back-pedaling and back-stabbing. They are professional lobbyists whose primary objective is to keep the organization afloat and secondary mission to further the causes they represent.