Equality According To Whom?

September 13, 2009
Editorial
The Rights of Gay Employees
It is remarkable how little progress gay people have made in securing the basic protection against discrimination on the job. In 29 states, it is still legal to fire workers for being gay. But momentum is building in Congress for the first federal law banning such discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

Federal law has lagged behind the reality of American life. There are now openly gay members of Congress from between-the-coasts states like Colorado and Wisconsin. And according to the Human Rights Campaign, a gay-rights advocacy group, 85 percent of Fortune 500 companies have policies protecting gay employees from discrimination.

But gay rights advocates have for years faced opposition to a federal civil rights law from the religious right, and from parts of the business community, who argue that it would lead to a flood of litigation.

Bipartisan bills have been introduced in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, modeled on existing civil rights laws that cover race, religion and sex. Unlike some past bills, these include gender identity, protecting transgender people from discrimination.

The bills were written to meet some of the concerns of opponents. The law would not apply to religious organizations, or to businesses with fewer than 15 employees. It would not allow for quotas or “disparate impact” lawsuits, which generally use statistical disparities to prove discrimination.

There is reason for cautious optimism. In 2007, the House passed a nondiscrimination law that did not cover transgender people. The current Congress is more Democratic, and even in the past two years, gay rights have made significant strides. As states and localities have passed antidiscrimination laws, it has been clear that they do not disrupt the workplace, and they have not resulted in an enormous number of lawsuits.

Supporters in the House think they have the votes. The biggest hurdle is likely to be winning the support of 60 senators, the de facto number now required for most legislation because of filibuster rules.

People who believe in workplace fairness should lobby senators to get on board. It is unacceptable that in a nation committed to equality people can still be fired in more than half the states for being gay. Congressional leaders should make passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act a top priority.


After reading this article I was very puzzled. It talks mainly about how gay employees are being discriminated. I personally don’t like gay people, but I believe they shouldn’t be discriminated till a certain degree. When they start talking about a workplace and getting fired, there is a side of me that says its right but then another part of me makes me believe its wrong.

I do understand being gay is against nature, yet many people are, and some just can’t help it. I personally feel uncomfortable around them, yet if you were to put yourself in their shoes and understand their point of view, I believe there is no justification for being gay. Yet, by firing gay people it only creates chaos.

We have to face it, we live in a world full of hate and discrimation, where if you are not societies standard you are screwed. So, if we fire all the gay people what are they going to work in? We have to go further and analyze this scenario. If they don’t have a job, how are they going to react? We are all human and need certain resources to survive, so how will they obtain their necessities? Yes, I do agree they can be a distraction in the work place, but as long as their gay characteristics don’t affect their workplace they should not be fired.

If we fire all the gay people, in order to obtain their necessities they will start stealing or just relying on our government, when others who can’t work really need the money. Firing gay people doesn’t resolve the problem, it may momentarily but the consequences will be of greater effect.

When I read this “It is unacceptable that in a nation committed to equality people can still be fired in more than half the states for being gay.”I don’t understand how the United States Of America the country of the free there is discrimant act being tolerated and as stated not in some but more than half the country.

Therefore, I believe gay people like any other human being should be allowed to work, for at least they are working and not on the streets committing crimes. They should be fired if their gayness interferes with their job. For, the U.S is known for its freedom and equality, so much for that reputation, but really where did all those principles dissolve into? Do we want gays just wandering in the streets? Are we going to assume the consequences?