Science Supports ENDA and You Should Too!

Let’s look at this issue through a scientific lens. Is there any evidence that shows being gay can adversely affect someone’s performance in the work place? The American Psychological Association did the research by asking the following questions: “Are lesbians and gay men psychologically abnormal, which would justify work place discrimination? and Does being gay or lesbian affect a person’s work?” Through psychological testing, they found that the heterosexual and homosexual group both had normal scores and showed to have the same level of psychological health. In another study, they found that homosexuality only affects the workplace when other people openly discriminate against gay co-workers. Being gay also affects work performance when they are anxious about getting discriminated against for their sexual orientation, something that would be, in part, eliminated by ENDA.

The findings from the American Psychological Association’s study show that being gay does not affect a person’s ability to perform their job admirably. Employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, therefore, cannot be justified and is completely unfair. A person’s ability to keep or receive a job should be based on skill, professionalism in the workplace, and job performance. None of these factors are related to the sexual orientation of the worker, so it should not be a factor in whether or not they can retain a job.

American Psychological Association

 

Crushing Dreams and Breaking Banks

Everyone should have the right to not be afraid of being fired due to their personal lives, sexual orientation or sexual identity. It should be a fundamental right of all citizens.

Job discrimination is a bigger issue than what meets the eye. People are experiencing discrimination and harassment and can be fired for their sexual orientation and only a few states provide laws against this.

It is almost unbelievable how many states do not have laws protecting citizens from job discrimination due to sexual orientation. According to The New Civil Rights Movement, in 38 states today you can potentially be fired for gender identity including being transgender. Only 12 states including Washington, D.C outlaw employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. On top of that, 29 states can fire employees for being gay, lesbian or bisexual.

Here is a story about Michael from Massachusetts. Michael’s childhood dream was to become a police officer. His dream came true when right after college he entered the police force. At his graduation party, Michael was directed a gay joke and quickly learned that he had to keep his sexual orientation a secret. He went through years of living a double life and risking everything in the process. Michael started drinking and fell into a depression. He then left the police force. Later, he came out and reapplied to be a police officer as an openly gay man. He reapplied with four other fellow former officers but only he was denied reinstatement. Fortunately for Michael, Massachusetts had a law that protected him and after a two-and-a-half-year investigation he got to get his job back.

Harassment is also a big issue that will be dealt with if ENDA is passed. According to the Center of American Progress, studies have shown that “anywhere from 15 percent to 43 percent of gay people have experienced some form of discrimination and harassment at the workplace” and “a staggering 90 percent of transgender workers report some form of harassment or mistreatment on the job”.

On top of all of this, not only can you get fired and are not legally protected from that, this job discrimination affects people’s incomes and has economic consequences. According to the Williams Institute, job discrimination affects income levels for gay men. It has been found that gay men earn 10% to 32% less than “similarly qualified” heterosexual men. They also point out that transgender people experience high rates of unemployment and low earnings. According to the Center for American Progress, “transgender individuals are twice as likely to be unemployed and are four times as likely to live in poverty”.

Overall, discrimination affects peoples live in a very negative way; it doesn’t protect their rights and is harmful emotionally and economically. Whether someone is qualified for a job should not be based on sexual orientation. Job discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation goes against Americans value system of quality and justice for all. Everyone should have the same protection under the law. Equal rights are not something that should go underestimated in all states.

Discrimination for any reason is not okay

Since 1964 it has been illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. The passing of The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ensured at a Federal level that a person would not be subjected to such discrimination. The passing of this act was, and remains, a landmark decision that changed, for the better, the lives of many U.S. citizens.

All citizens should be able to live their lives without the fear that they will be subjected to discrimination or fewer rights than other citizens. This is especially true for characteristics that are inherent to who a person is. A person cannot control the race, sex, or national origin that he or she was born with. Why should a person be punished for something that is beyond his or her control?

Today, even with The Civil Rights Act of 1964, certain citizens are still being discriminated against. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) workers currently have no federal protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

For those who consider gender identity and sexual orientation an attribute that a person is born with and is beyond his or her control, it only makes sense that employers should not be allowed to discriminate against employees based on a factor that the employee cannot control and that does not affect his or her ability to perform the required job tasks. Those who argue that a person’s sexual orientation and gender identity are simply a personal choice should also agree that such choices are not a valid reason to discriminate against workers since a person’s religion is a personal choice that one is not born with and currently employers are not able to discriminate based on religion either. Clearly, whether or not a person feels that gender identity and sexual orientation are innate or simply a lifestyle choice does not affect whether or not it is wrong for employers to discriminate against a person.

The ACLU comments on its site in support of  the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) that “Over the years, Congress has responded when it found that people were not being hired or promoted for unfair or arbitrary reasons, such as race, gender, national origin, or disability. When Congress has found such discrimination, it passed laws to restore civil rights by ensuring arbitrary considerations do not determine access to employment.”

Currently, employers are not universally obligated to stop discrimination based on a person’s sexual orientation and gender identity. This discrimination can and does occur, affecting the lives of citizens. According to a report by The National Center for Transgendered Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, “Forty-seven percent (47%) said they had experienced an adverse job outcome, such as being fired, not hired or denied a promotion because of being transgender or gender non-conforming. Over one-quarter (26%) reported that they had lost a job due to being transgender or gender non-conforming and 50% were harassed.”

Something needs to be done to ensure that the rights of these citizens are not infringed upon in the workplace. Passing ENDA would prohibit employment discrimination of LGBT persons on a federal level.