In 2009, testifying in front of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, then-Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) insisted he finds it hard to argue for legislation that bans discrimination. He commented it was hard not because he in anyway condones discrimination, but rather that it was hard due to nondiscrimination being so self-evident.
The specific piece of legislation Frank was commenting on at the time was an Employment Non-Discrimination Act bill, which he had introduced to the 110th Congress. Though the bill got plenty of bipartisan support, it was never passed into law. Today, in the land of the free and home of the brave, there is still no piece of federal legislation that protects citizens from being fired or denied job opportunities based solely on who they are and who they love. My struggle with coming to terms with this is Frank’s struggle, in that I, too, cannot understand how to go about explaining something so self-evident.
Having an employment nondiscrimination law that protects LGBT citizens in every state across this great nation is something that is long overdue, and it has support from more than two-thirds of Americans. Hundreds of companies, including some of our nation’s most profitable, already have employment nondiscrimination policies like this in place. There is no uncertainty about what our country’s next step needs to be.
This year, U.S. senators will once again be voting on a version of the nondiscrimination act. Activists who have supported this bill for years, senators who are willing to stand up for equality and individuals across America who know this is the right thing to do will inevitably be faced with discriminatory questions that will boggle the mind. All the while, they will wonder how one can support the words of America’s most treasured documents and yet not support a basic piece of nondiscrimination legislation.
On Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the UF College Democrats’ LGBT Caucus will be hosting a day of action at our table on Turlington Plaza in order to highlight the importance of the act.
We will be calling Sens. Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson and urging them to support the passage of the act. We ask that you stop by the table, make a call and show your support for equality. If this bill does not have a noticeable, direct impact on your life, I can certainly assure you it will have a big impact and be a huge deal to someone who is your friend, loved one, co-worker, neighbor or classmate.
No one can afford to be indifferent or apathetic in a common-sense fight for human rights.
Troy Epstein is a UF political science sophomore and co-chair of the UF College Democrats LGBT Caucus. This guest column ran on page 7 on 10/21/2013 under the headline "A call for employer nondiscrimination"
