LGBT Activists Target Dems on Civil Rights
MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 21, 2014
CONTACT:
Queer Nation: news@queernationny.org
LGBT Activists Target Dems on Civil Rights
Queer Nation Demands Comprehensive Federal Civil Rights Legislation
New York, NY (July 21, 2014) – Seeking to pressure Congressional Democrats to advance comprehensive federal civil rights legislation that will give lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans the same legal rights and protections that all other Americans currently have, Queer Nation will target Democrats in a social media campaign titled “Which Side of Your Mouth Should We Listen To?”
The campaign, which will be distributed on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks, will contrast Congress members’ rhetoric with their support of the inadequate and dangerous Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which has a sweeping religious exemption.
“Democrats denounce discrimination against LGBT people, but by supporting ENDA, they seek to enshrine it in federal law for nearly 200,000 religiously affiliated employers,” said Ken Kidd, a member of Queer Nation. “These elected officials propose comprehensive solutions to many problems, but offer LGBT Americans legislation that is silent on anti-LGBT discrimination in housing, education, credit, and public accommodations.”
The first target, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, is a leading defender of ENDA, which only bars employment discrimination. Many national and state LGBT groups have rejected ENDA due to its religious exemption. In contrast, Pelosi’s words have been expansive.
In a June 16 statement, Pelosi said “Discrimination has no place in our nation – not in our workplaces, not in our society, and not in our government.”
At a May 22 ceremony honoring Harvey Milk, the San Francisco Democrat said “And, we too must be relentless in those efforts to ensure the fundamental rights of all people, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, creed, or background.”
In the past two months, Pelosi has supported “comprehensive women’s health care planning” and “comprehensive immigration reform” while saying of ENDA at a July 10 press briefing “It’s not the 100 percent bill that we would like” and ENDA is “Not what we want, but what we could get passed.”
“Which side of your mouth should we listen to, Congresswoman Pelosi?” Kidd said. “The one that makes bold statements or the one that tells LGBT Americans to settle for far less than half of what every other American has? LGBT Americans are equal to all Americans and our law must say so.”
A comprehensive civil rights law would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, education, credit, public accommodations, and federally funded programs.
