Los Angeles- U.S. Vice President Joe Biden called on Congress on March 22 to pass a measure to outlaw workplace discrimination against LGBTs, saying it’s outrageous that the country is even debating the subject.
Speaking to supporters of the gay advocacy group Human Rights Campaign, Biden said it’s “close to barbaric” that in some states, employees can be fired because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
“Imagine 20 years from now as America looked back and say, `How in the hell can that ever been allowed?’ The country’s moved on, the American people have moved on,” he said.
Biden said it was time for Congress to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act–known as ENDA–which would bar employers with 15 or more workers from using a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity as the basis for making employment decisions, including hiring, firing, compensation or promotion. Religious institutions and the military would be exempted.
On March 21, 220 members of Congress signed a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to use executive authority to ban workplace discrimination against LGBT employees of federal contractors. No Republicans signed the letter.
An executive order would ban only employment discrimination by government contractors, while Congressional passage of ENDA would apply to all employers.
