For the LGBTQ community, it's an uphill climb to economic security, the author writes. Workplace fairness for all

From Main Street to Wall Street, this country’s belief in the American Dream remains strong, even unshakable during the tough economic times of the last few years. This is what is so uniquely great about the United States – our shared commitment to turning that dream into reality.

But for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans, the uphill climb to economic security has pitfalls along the way. Currently, there are no state laws protecting LGBT employees from workplace discrimination in a majority of states — a fact that most Americans would be shocked to learn. Hardworking and qualified LGBT employees, like all employees, need to provide for themselves and their families, and must have the same opportunity to be judged on job performance and merit — nothing more, nothing less.


Right now, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act – or ENDA — would help change that. ENDA simply adds sexual orientation and gender identity to existing employment protections — like those that already exist for race, religion, gender and disability.

At a moment when Congress can’t seem to agree on anything, you would be hard-pressed to find an idea with such widespread, bipartisan support as ENDA.

( Also on POLITICO: Senate to consider Employment Non-Discrimination Act)

Republican pollster Alex Lundry, who has served Republican presidential candidates like Mitt Romney, has just completed a national survey on this common-sense issue. He found that two thirds of voters back a federal law protecting gay and transgender employees from discrimination — including 56 percent of Republicans. ENDA just makes sense, no matter what party you’re in. It’s why Senators Mark Kirk (Ill.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Orrin Hatch (Utah) – all Republicans — voted for the bill in committee this past summer.

Through statistical modeling, Lundry estimated how the public views ENDA in all 50 states. Not surprisingly, majorities of voters in each and every state support the legislation, including 62 percent of voters in my home state of Arkansas.

Lundry’s polling also confirmed the potency of the Golden Rule: We should treat others how we ourselves would wish to be treated. Americans of all backgrounds get that this core value also applies to the workplace.

What’s more, ENDA isn’t just the right thing to do; it makes good business sense, too. For years, large and small businesses all across the country have been leading the charge in protecting their gay and transgender employees. Nearly 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies have sexual orientation non-discrimination policies and almost 60 percent have similar policies that include gender identity. All ENDA does is enshrine these best practices into law.

( Also on POLITICO: Poll: Big support for anti-discrimination law)

In the past month, Procter & Gamble, UBS, Groupon, and General Electric have signed onto the Human Rights Campaign’s Business Coalition for Workplace Fairness — a coalition of more than 100 companies standing in support of ENDA that also includes Citigroup, Nike, GlaxoSmithKline, Coca-Cola, General Mills and US Airways.

Senate Majority Leader Reid has said he wants to bring ENDA up for a vote. And in advance of that historic moment, HRC and our partners in the Americans for Workplace Opportunity coalition are working in states across the country to show just how powerful and diverse the support for ENDA is. Constituents on both sides of the aisle want their senators to support this bill.

At the end of the day, the case for ENDA is a pretty simple one. This is a bill about opportunity, shared prosperity, and the American dream. And senators can’t escape the simple fact that, when staunch conservatives, bleeding-heart liberals, observant Christians, labor unions, and Fortune 500 companies agree on something, it’s long past time to get it done.

Chad Griffin is president of the Human Rights Campaign.