The gay litigators over at Lambda Legal are contesting representative Barney Frank's short-sighted interpretation of the new and unimproved ENDA:

On October 1, 2007, Lambda Legal issued a preliminary analysis of the differences between H.R. 2015 (the version of ENDA that was introduced into Congress in April of this year) and the new, less protective version of ENDA recently introduced to replace it.

In your press release issued late Wednesday in response to our comments, you asserted that our analysis was flawed and that the new version of ENDA only omits reference to people
who are transgender but "makes no other change in the wording on this point."

Unfortunately, that is not true, because the definition of "gender identity" that was removed from the originally proposed bill included "…gender-related identity, appearance, or mannerisms or other gender-related characteristics of an individual."

Needless to say, Lambda's sticking to their original assertion.

Read the entire letter, after the jump.

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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.
…
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.

Here's a reason why HRC - and everyone else - should oppose the newly revised Employment Non-Discrimination Act:

Lambda Legal's preliminary assessment of the revised version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act shows the bill to be riddled with loopholes in addition to failing altogether to protect transgender people against discrimination.

"Leaving out protections for transgender people is unacceptable, and passing a bill riddled with loopholes will make it harder to achieve equality on the job," said Kevin Cathcart, Executive Director at Lambda Legal. "You can't be fired for being a lesbian or a gay man, but you can be fired if your boss thinks you fit their stereotype of one."

What's more, the new version offers even more outs for religious organizations. Besides allowing churches and the such to sack gays, faith-based hospitals and colleges are given more room to flex their anti-gay muscle.

Ed. note: Today's installment of America's Queer Liberty picks up where yesterday's left off…

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Lambda Legal and Prism Comics recently launched a cartoon campaign illustrating the necessity of judicial action in protecting gay rights.

The lawyerly non-profits higher-ups have now selected their five finalists, including this strip from Greg Fox, of which they say:

Fox’s 50s-reminiscent art fits perfectly with the dystopian theme. A fabulous tongue-in-cheek “celebration” of a world in which gay citizens are grateful for all the fantastic rights they enjoy — like the right to not be executed if they stay in special “gay zones!”

Do you agree? If so, head on over to Lambda Legal and show Fox your support. If not, well, vote for one of the other four finalists.