Dem. House Passes ENDA/GOP Panders to Christian Right

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) The vote was 235-185, mostly along party lines. The Bill (HR 3685) did not include gender identity so it does not protect transgender people from discrimination. The bill divided the gay community and civil rights groups. The HRC supported the bill withouth gender identity, while the NGLTF and Stonewall Democrats led a coalition to include gender identity. Democratic leaders in the House, including Rep. Barney Frank, decided to bring the bill to a vote without gender identity and offer an amendment to add it. The amendment, offered by Tammy Baldwin, was withdrawn because of the lack of votes to pass it. So it's a mixed deal. After 30 years, ENDA has finally passed the House. Even if the Senate passes it, Bush will probably veto it. With the passage of the Hate Crime bill and ENDa, the Democrats in Congress have fulfilled part of their promises to the gay community, and will also probably pass a "military readiness" bill to overturn the "don't ask don't tell" policy prohibiting gays from serving openly in the U.S. military.

The GOP tried to kill the bill by arguing that it would legalize gay marriage (?) and tried to adjourn the House to stop the vote.

Those gay Republicans who continue to argue that the Democrats never deliver on their promises to the gay community are lying.. as usual. In the meantime, the Republican Presidential candidates continue to ignore the gay community and are pandering for the endorsements of the anti-gay Christian Right. Pat Robertson has endorsed Guilianni, Sam Brownback has endorsed John McCain and the Paul Weyrich has endorsed Mitt Romney. The GOP continues its march towards Fascism.