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Discussion Forum : News and Current Events : House Signs Ban against Gay Job Bias

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ccchhhrrriiisss
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Joined: 2003/11/23
Posts: 4779


 House Signs Ban against Gay Job Bias

[b]House Passes Job Bias Ban Against Gays[/b]
President Bush is expected to veto
By ANDREW MIGA
Associated Press
November 7, 2007

WASHINGTON (AP) - The House on Wednesday approved the first federal ban on job discrimination against gays, lesbians and bisexuals.

Passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act came despite protests from some gay rights supporters that the bill does not protect transgender workers. That term covers transsexuals, cross-dressers and others whose outward appearance does not match their gender at birth.

The measure would make it illegal for employers to make decisions about hiring, firing, promoting or paying an employee based on sexual orientation. It would exempt churches and the military.

After the 235-184 vote, supporters are expecting a tough fight in the narrowly divided Senate, where Massachusetts Democrat Edward Kennedy plans to introduce a similar version.

A veto from President Bush is expected if the proposal does pass the Senate. The White House has cited constitutional concerns and said the proposal could trample religious rights.

Backers of the House bill proclaimed it a major civil rights advance for gays. "Bigotry and homophobia are sentiments that should never be allowed to permeate the American workplace," said House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C.

The decision by Democratic leaders to exclude protections based on gender identity created sharp divisions in the party and among gay rights activists.

Republicans, meanwhile, said the bill could undermine the rights of people who oppose homosexuality for religious reasons and lead to an onslaught of dubious discrimination lawsuits.

"This is, frankly, a trial lawyer's dream," said Rep. John Kline, R-Minn.

Protections for transgender workers were in the original bill. But Democratic leaders found they would lose support from moderate and conservative Democrats by including transgender employees in the final bill.

"That's a bridge too far," said Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Va. "It's better to take it one step at a time."

Rep. Jerrold Nadler, however, said excluding transgender workers was shortsighted.

"As we have seen in many states, the failure to include the transgender community in civil rights legislation from the beginning makes it more difficult to extend protections later," said Nadler, D-N.Y.

Rep. Barney Frank, one of two openly gay members of Congress and an important supporter of the bill, urged colleagues not to let the dispute over transgender workers doom an important gain in civil rights.

Frank, D-Mass., said he hoped the bill would send a message to "millions of Americans who are gay and lesbian that they are not bad people, that it is not legitimate to fire them simply because of who they are."

He also pledged to continue to fight for a bill to protect transgender workers.

Job discrimination based on factors such as race, gender and religion are banned under federal law. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have laws against sexual-orientation discrimination.

Only nine states specifically protect transgender people from discrimination: New Jersey, Minnesota, Rhode Island, New Mexico, California, Illinois, Maine, Hawaii, Washington. The District of Columbia has a similar law.

By January, laws also will be in effect in Iowa, Vermont, Colorado and Oregon.

[url=http://apnews.myway.com/article/20071107/D8SP502O0.html]CLICK HERE[/url] to read full article.

:-(


_________________
Christopher

 2007/11/8 9:20Profile
ccchhhrrriiisss
Member



Joined: 2003/11/23
Posts: 4779


 Re: House Signs Ban against Gay Job Bias

Hello...

While this bill exempts Churches and the military, it says nothing about religious employers or religious themed companies or organizations. For instance, this bill would NOT exempt a religious bookstore or religious publishing company. The bill could then be used to bring suit against many Christian businesses. Any company owned by believers would be liable under this law. If you didn't want a homosexual man working in your Christian-themed day care, you could be targeted and sued by homosexuals. If you didn't want to hire a homosexual to work the front counter of your company, you could also be sued.

While we shouldn't be hateful toward these individuals, we should still have the liberty to stand opposed, without government intrusion, against a lifestyle that is contrary to the Word of God. Several years ago, some radical gay rights organizations were calling for this bill, and claimed that they were ready to attack the religious community for the refusal to acknowledge their lifestyles.

Please pray that the President vetoes this bill!

:-)


_________________
Christopher

 2007/11/8 9:29Profile









 Re:

Why don't we do like the Asian employers do, they hire their own people. Why don't we hire from the Church? Someone outside of that looking for a job within a Christian organization is turned away due to "Were not hiring".

The United States and Canada and other nations who favour bills like these for the minority is heading for trouble. The majority is going to rise up against the minority and the tensions are going to be so hot, that it might just spark a civil war.

Here in Canada we have a law that says that you can't discriminate against homosexuals. I have no problems with that law, I am not going to confront homosexuals and start condemning them, I leave that with the fundamentals. (Christ came not into the world to condemn the world, but that the world thru Him might be saved. If Jesus didn't come to condemn neither should I. And if I am going to start pointing out people's sins, I may as well start pointing at myself in the process.)

My beef is not with the world when it comes to gays and lesbians, my concern is what is happening in the Church. Tolerance is not an option in the Church, we must clamp down on all perversions and fornication, adultery and anything that has leaven in it if we are to survive as a body, otherwise there will be no distinction between the world and Christs' body. Our focus should be on the Christ and His body, not so much what the world is doing. The world is doing what it always does, Rebel! But we who received Christ have obeyed.

 2007/11/8 10:25





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