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1. "Gay City News" [why isn't it "LGB & T City News" if they care so much?] editor Paul Schindler has a bad case of echolalia. He keeps repeated the discredited "300 groups" claim and insisting that HRC was "isolated" in calling for a common sense approach to these bills. [Yes, I hate to say something good about HRC, but, unlike some, I can admit when some group or person I normally criticize is right.]

   And, please, Mr. Schindler, isn't calling it "Barney Frank's ENDA" too juvenile even by your low standards? A more accurate title would be the "Gays In 30 States' ENDA."

   Genuine concern for providing those millions of gay men and women even minimal job protection that they've never had, unlike most leaders of ENDA Insane, is why the following national groups, undeterred by the character assassination bombs you and others have thrown at anyone who disagrees with you, have sent a letter, along with HRC, to all members of the US House to vote for the best ENDA possible:

   American Federation of State, County, Municipal Employees
   NAACP
   National Education Association
   National Employment Lawyers Association
   Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
   Leadership Conference on Civil Rights whose executive committee draws members "from a broad range of groups including the ACLU, the American Federation of Teachers, People for the American Way, NOW, and the League of Women Voters."

   Unlike you, and Foreman, and Kiesling who already enjoy legal job protections, they are not willing to "burn down the village in order to 'save' it."

   "The groups...noted that many civil rights advances, beginning with the Civil Rights Act of 1957, have been incremental. Solmonese said that in a recent conversation with Georgia Democratic Congressman John Lewis, a leading figure in the 1960s African-American rights struggle, the two discussed much the same topic.

   The AFL-CIO also sent House members a letter taking the posture that HRC and LCCR have adopted. The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace & Agricultural Implement Workers of America-UAW sent members of Congress a letter supporting ENDA, but making no mention of the gender issue."

   Whether or not any version of ENDA passes this week; even with a sustained Bush veto; those who value truth, common sense, civility, and the welfare of their gay brothers and sisters in 30 states can celebrate the triumph of sanity over self-righteousness.

   “The difference between expediency and morality in politics is the difference between selling out a principle and making smaller concessions to win larger ones. The leader who shrinks from this task reveals not his purity but his lack of political sense.” – Bayard Rustin
   

   Posted by: Leland Frances | Nov 6, 2007 2:35:05 PM

   
   

2. Given your Rustin quote, Leland, I assume you'll be first in line pushing for transgender inclusion if this is signed into law, right?

   Posted by: Adam | Nov 6, 2007 3:03:26 PM

   
   

3. I totally support equality for transgenders. In the interim, I will not deny the real potential for the protection of millions more in the name of "solidarity"—a term that in this instance only means constipated thinking.

   Posted by: Leland Frances | Nov 6, 2007 3:34:21 PM

   
   

4. "Real potential" is delusional. This measure will never see the light of day in the Senate. If a miracle happens there and the thing is passed with no changes, the President will certainly veto it. If that happens, there is no chance of overriding the veto.

   Posted by: Adam | Nov 6, 2007 3:45:45 PM

   
   

5. Spare me the fucking word games, Adam, even if that's ALL that ENDA Insane has been about. I was speaking of the potential for passage, and acknowledged the probability of a sustained veto in my piece above that you tried to piss on. My position is clear. How about yours? Are you agreeing with those who have been telling House members to vote AGAINST gay job protections for millions of gay Americans making them functionally equivalent to Bush?

   Now THAT's delusional.

   Posted by: Leland Frances | Nov 6, 2007 3:59:50 PM

   
   

6. What "triumph" does DOA-in-the-Senate legislation give you? It is the hollowest of all victories. What have we shown, that the gays and lesbians are more popular than trannies among members of the House? Wow, big win there.

   I would probably be on your side if the people who managed to strip the transgender provisions were opponents of the bill. Then at least we'd be in the situation of getting the best bill possible. But that's not the case. Here we have Democrats stripping a provision for no logical reason. Why, so they can get it out of the House? Fantastic. That's a cake that's only 1/3 baked.

   Now they've set the standard at a transgender-less bill in the future. As one who's familiar with the legislative process, I know that it's much harder to get back in once you've been dropped out.

   In the end, however, I don't begrudge any Rep. who votes for the trans-exclusive bill. That's how Congress works, and I hope they go for as much as they can get. I'm just sad that the Democrats have put themselves in the situation of whittling their own bill down into a weaker piece of legislation, rather than being forced into it by their opponents.

   Posted by: Adam | Nov 6, 2007 4:55:04 PM

   
   

7. Who gives a RATS ass what the group of "300" says the public, the voters and the constituents in the super majority WANT civil rights protections based on sexual orientration....so their representatives must vote that way (in my democracy) and it took a lot of educating to make that happen ..so lets take this first step and continue to work and educate and in the mean time PROTECT and END DISCRIMINATION for a few more citizens.

   Damn if this were the last vote you can make why would you not take it?

   Posted by: MCnNYC | Nov 6, 2007 7:08:58 PM

   
   

8. ENDA Vote Today.Here we go again. The ongoing saga of the Washington Politicals deciding who in America has protections @ work. This is so insulting the way Frank & his gang are trying to divide our community! Is this 2007 or 1977?
   

   Posted by: Charlotte | Nov 7, 2007 1:06:05 PM

   
   

9. ENDA Vote Today.Here we go again. The ongoing saga of the Washington Politicals deciding who in America has protections @ work. This is so insulting the way Frank & his gang are trying to divide our community! Is this 2007 or 1977?
   

   Posted by: Charlotte | Nov 7, 2007 1:06:56 PM

   
   

10. This is part of Nancy Pelosi's campaign to sabotage ENDA. This is phony version of ENDA which is watered down in many ways, the most important of which takes out gender identity language which also would protect many lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals.

    Nancy Pelosi is the same heterosexist bigot who gay baited her way into Congress. It sickens me that Barney Frank and Tammy Baldwin have betrayed the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community by providing public leadership for Pelosi's effort to get queers fired from their jobs.

    By the time there is a Democratic president, there won't be any substance in ENDA left.

    Posted by: libhomo | Nov 8, 2007 12:25:35 AM

    
    

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