Franken speaks out on employment discrimination
By Andy Birkey 11/9/09 4:10 PM
http://minnesotaindependent.com/49404/franken-speaks-out-on-employment-discrimination (http://minnesotaindependent.com/49404/franken-speaks-out-on-employment-discrimination)
frankenSen. Al Franken spoke at a Senate hearing on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) on Thursday. ENDA, which is vociferously opposed by the religious right, would make it illegal to fire somebody because of their sexual orientation. Franken sits on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee which held the first hearing the bill has gotten in the Senate since it was first introduced in 1994 (an earlier version of the bill has been offered since 1974).
"[T]oday, in 2009, in our country, it's still perfectly legal to fire someone because they're gay," Franken told the committee. "You can be a hard worker, show up on time, and get exemplary performance reviews, but if your boss discovers that you're gay or transgender, they can fire you, and there's nothing you can do about it."
Franken noted that Minnesota was the first state in the nation to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and the sky hasn't fallen here.