ENDA: Why state discrimination matters

[Shana A]

Tuesday, September 29, 2009
ENDA: Why state discrimination matters
Posted by Harper Jean Tobin at 9:59 AM

http://nctequality.blogspot.com/2009/09/enda-why-state-discrimination-matters.html

At last week's House hearing on ENDA, not just one but two witnesses testified specifically to the existence of longstanding and widespread discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity by state governments. Yale Law Professor William Eskridge recounted the historical campaigns of exposure and exclusion of LGBT public employees. And UCLA Law Professor Brad Sears summarized an extensive new report by the Williams Institute on the past and present extent of state employment discrimination. Why so much attention to state employees, who make up less than 5% of the American workforce are currently more likely to be protected under state law than private-sector workers?