New Proposed Legislation Poised to Fight Workplace Gender Discrimination

Washington, DCThere are various instances of workplace discrimination that have contributed to changes in discrimination law. As a result religious discrimination, age discrimination, employee discrimination and workplace gender discrimination simply have no place in the workplace.

However that doesn't stop employers from flaunting the rules, which is the reason for various discrimination lawsuits currently in the legal pipeline. Meanwhile, Congress is always on the hunt for ways to tighten the screws on employers seeking ways to circumvent legal and moral tenets where it comes to discrimination.

To that end a handful of US Senators joined forces on August 5th to continue the fight against workplace discrimination with the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to finally prohibit job discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2009 would prohibit employers, employment agencies, labor organizations and joint labor-management committees from firing, refusing to hire, or discriminating against those employed or seeking employment on the basis of their perceived, or actual sexual orientation or gender identity. Such protections are already in place prohibiting discrimination based on race, religion, gender, national origin, age and disability.

According to the web site of Daniel Kahikina Akaka, the US Senator for Hawaii, a number of high-powered Senators are behind the legislation, including Senator Edward Kennedy from Massachusetts, Diane Feinstein from California, the newly-elected Al Franken from Minnesota, Chuck Schumer from New York and Joe Lieberman from Connecticut.

"We are thrilled the Senate has introduced, for the first time, an Employment Non-Discrimination Act that will protect the entire lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "We applaud the leadership of Senators Merkley, Collins, Kennedy and Snowe and look forward to working with them to pass these critical protections."

While LGBT workers have been openly accepted in some parts of the US, there are still large pockets where they continue to face discrimination. Stories are legion where individuals in the LGBT communities are denied jobs, harassed or fired once their orientation is revealed.

"The promise of America will never be fulfilled as long as justice is denied to even one among us," said Senator Kennedy

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act has been endorsed by national civil rights organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the ACLU, labor organizations and more than 50 Fortune 500 companies who have joined forces with the sponsoring senators in a bid to eradicate all types of employee discrimination, including workplace gender discrimination.