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Equal Rights Washington (ERW) has issued what they're calling an "urgent" notice for Washingtonians to their representaves about ENDA (Employment Non-Discrimination Act) legislation in the House. In this particular case, even calls to Seattle's Rep. Jim McDermott would be useful, according to ERW.

Like most (but not quite all) LGBT activist groups, ERW is opposed to the version of the bill that was passed last week by a House committee. That version (what we've been calling LGB-No-T ENDA) includes job protections for "sexual orientation", but not for "gender identity".

ERW's take:

[T]he bill being voted on (HR 3685) is a stripped-down version which does not include protection based on gender identity. Not only is this bad for transgender workers, it leaves everyone who does not conform to rigid gender stereotypes vulnerable to workplace discrimination. The original version (HR 2015) included protection based on gender identity.

Things are moving quickly and we need your help today.

At this critical juncture in the struggle for equality, we must tell Congress to do the right thing for all Americans--LGBT and straight. Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), the first openly LGBT member of Congress elected as a non-incumbent, has announced her plan to offer an amendment to HR 3685 that will restore gender identity protections. The Baldwin Amendment is our best hope to offer protection based on gender identity.

They're urging calls even to McDermott because -- although he's a usually reliable vote on the ERW-type side of most issues like this -- this particular activist v. politics issue has been more devisive.

They recommend this kind of approach:

Please call Rep. McDermott's office at (206) 553-7170. Please be polite and remember that your congressperson is not the problem. We need his leadership. The purpose of your call is to convey how important it is to you that gender identity be included in the ENDA.

When calling, feel free to use the following script outline:

Introduce yourself & then let them know why you're calling:

It is vital that the Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA) include gender identity. As your constituent, I'm asking you not only to support the Baldwin Amendment, which would add gender identity protections to HR 3685 (the new version of the ENDA), but also to speak to your collegues and encourage them to support it as well. If the Baldwin Amendment fails I would ask Rep. McDermott not to support final passage of HR 3685. We would rather take the time to build support for HR 2015, the original and inclusive ENDA, of which Rep. McDermott is an original cosponsor.

Then ask the following questions:

Question 1. Is Rep. McDermott planning to vote for the Baldwin Amendment to HR 3685?

Question 2. Has Rep. McDermott decided how he will vote on HR 3685 if the Baldwin Amendment fails?

End the call with a thank you:

If you live outside of Seattle, a call to your congressman would be even more vital on this issue.

And, frankly, we'll leave it up to you to decide what you'd like to see happen if the Baldwin amendment doesn't pass and LGB-No-T ENDA comes up for a vote. But that's an issue for another day. The vote on the amendment is at least a test of where things will go with this activist dustup.

[post mirrored from seaQwa.com]

Labels: activism, ENDA, org:ERW, politics, rights legislation, state:WA