• Tim Cook-Supported ENDA Passes U.S. Senate

    by
    Michael Essany
    Published on 2013-11-08 02:46 AM
    5 Comments Comments


    Although countless industry leaders and common folks alike supported the passage of The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), Apple CEO Tim Cook's passionate op-ed last weekend in the Wall Street Journal inspired many to closely associate ENDA with the Apple boss.

    Nonetheless, Cook and all those who supported ENDA are happy tonight. On Thursday, the U.S. Senate passed the bill, which aims to ban workplace discrimination against LGBT individuals. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) passed its final vote in the full Senate 64-32.

    The passage is hailed by some as a historic victory decades in the making. But, unfortunately for those in support of the bill's passage in the U.S. House of Representatives, the chances for similar success are less optimistic.

    Signs of the measure becoming law were stunted earlier in the week, however, when House Speaker John Boehner voiced his opposition on the grounds that it would cost small businesses and create “frivolous litigation.”
    As of this writing, it isn't clear when the bill will come to a vote on the House floor, if it does at all.

    Source: MSNBC
    This article was originally published in forum thread: Tim Cook-Supported ENDA Passes U.S. Senate started by Michael Essany View original post
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    Comments 5 Comments
    1. wb4whd's Avatar
      wb4whd - 2013-11-08, 01:01 PM
      It's not needed and would lead to a lot of other legal issues for employers.
    1. Villebilly's Avatar
      Villebilly - 2013-11-10, 03:02 AM
      I thought we already had such laws on the books.
      This reminds me of some of the hate crime laws. Like if a gay guy punches you he gets charged with assault. If you punch a gay guy you get assault and a hate crime. All in the name of fairness.
    1. pulsecub's Avatar
      pulsecub - 2013-11-11, 05:28 AM
      Quote Originally Posted by Villebilly View Post
      I thought we already had such laws on the books.
      This reminds me of some of the hate crime laws. Like if a gay guy punches you he gets charged with assault. If you punch a gay guy you get assault and a hate crime. All in the name of fairness.
      There may be laws in some places already on the books, but as a gay man who was fired from a so-called "gay-friendly" international company because I was the only gay member on my team, I can tell you there are still places -- like Utah, where I live -- where sexual orientation is not a protected class.

      I truly hope the House of Representatives will not show their continued bigotry and pass ENDA as well.
    1. Villebilly's Avatar
      Villebilly - 2013-11-11, 07:08 AM
      I don't want to see anyone fired for their private life choices. The problem for employers thus becomes they will not be able to fire a gay person regardless of how bad they are at their job. The next step becomes affirmative action where you have to hire a certain number of people based on their orientation not their quality of work.
    1. pulsecub's Avatar
      pulsecub - 2013-11-11, 09:47 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by Villebilly View Post
      I don't want to see anyone fired for their private life choices. The problem for employers thus becomes they will not be able to fire a gay person regardless of how bad they are at their job. The next step becomes affirmative action where you have to hire a certain number of people based on their orientation not their quality of work.
      I have to say I am opposed to Affirmative Action in this day and age. I believe the inequity it was intended to equalize has been remedied over the years. But then again, I don't believe a gay person should have any special protections because they are gay; if I was doing bad work, then I deserved to be let go based on the quality of my work -- as should any employee, irregardless of race, gender, age or sexual orientation. The problem was, my entire team was guilty of the same reasons given for my termination; the only difference is I was gay, and my manager's brother was dying of AIDS-related complications, so she took out her anger on me. Had ENDA been law then, I would've been able to fight my termination, but since Utah is a "right to work" state, I didn't have a leg to stand on.

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