Equality Can't Wait: Pass ENDA Now!
Equality Can't Wait: Pass ENDA Now!
I had a total of 26 years of professional work experience, most of it at a management level. As a computer technology consultant, I’d dedicated over 10 years of my life to a company whose primary customer was the federal government.
Yet with just one moment of discrimination, my world was turned upside down. I lost my job, all because I made the courageous decision to be true to myself and come out to my employer as a transgender woman in transition.
I'm writing to you today on behalf of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force because I know that my story, while unjust and infuriating, is sadly not uncommon. It's time to end the injustice — and now's our chance.
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is moving in Congress again — will you join me and the Task Force and make a short phone call to your legislators to keep the pressure on? Even if you've done so before, please call again and forward this message on to your friends and family and ask them to call. Congress needs to hear from as many of us as possible to keep the momentum going.
Just follow these three steps:
1) Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202.224.3121 and ask to speak to your representative. (If you're not sure who your representative is, simply give the operator your zip code and they will connect you.)
2) Follow this script:
My name is _____ and I live at (say your street address) in (say your city and state). I am calling to ask that you please pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 3017/S. 1584) now! Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people can't wait any longer for protection from job discrimination. So, please — no more delays. Pass ENDA right away. Thank you for your time.
3) Go back to step 1 and call at least one of your senators — we need to make our voice for equality as loud as possible.
After 10 years with my former employer, I considered myself a committed part of the team. And when I decided to transition, I even planned to do so between assignments to keep the process as smooth as possible for my employer, my coworkers and our clients.
But instead of supporting me in my transition, I was laid off.
I know I'm not alone in my story — right now, people can be fired in 29 states for being lesbian, gay or bisexual and in 38 states for being transgender. If you're as angry as I am, please call your legislators and tell them it's time to pass ENDA.
Thank you so much for taking action with the Task Force today to help change the story for LGBT employees everywhere!
Sincerely,
Jacqui Charvet
