Top Five Ways to Talk about ENDA this Fall!

With the mid-term elections rapidly approaching and campaigns – and candidate promises – in overdrive, it’s important for us to remind those candidates campaigning for seats in the House and Senate about their commitment to equality for all by asking tough questions about legislation like ENDA. Their answers – and, more importantly, their actions that follow the words — could provide meaningful solutions for millions of LGBT individuals and their families struggling to make ends meet in these tough economic times.

The passage of ENDA will benefit LGBT Americans by providing long-overdue workplace protections for LGBT employees.  Shockingly, it is still legal to fire someone on the basis of their sexual orientation in 29 states and it is legal to fire someone on the basis of their gender identity in 38 states.

Passage of ENDA will deliver a federal remedy to outlaw these forms of discrimination and provide the long-overdue job security that so many LGBT individuals desperately need – today more than ever. It is finally time that people are judged on the merit of their work and accomplishments – not what people think about who they are.

Your voices have changed people’s minds already, but now we need your help again to make sure all Americans receive the help they need now to secure jobs, provide for their families, and rebound from the worst economic crisis this nation has experienced since the Great Depression.

That’s why we’re reaching out to you to take action today!

Top Five Ways to Talk about ENDA this Fall:
1.    Schedule an in-district lobby meeting. It’s important to talk with your Members of Congress about the importance of ENDA and why it should be a priority for them to address this remedy to discrimination on the campaign trail.
2.    Work for the political campaign of your choice. Find a candidate who you want to win and work for their campaign as an out LGBT person or ally.  It is a great way to influence individual officeholders who are also candidates.
3.    Attend a Candidate Forum. Be sure to attend a candidate forum and ask participants a question related to ENDA.  Something as simple as, “Do you support equal opportunity for all people in the workplace – and do you support the passage of ENDA to ensure that this is the case for all Americans?,” will help you get a better sense as to where the candidates stand on issues most important to you.
4.    Host a Candidate Forum. If your organization plans to host a candidate forum, be sure to include ENDA on the agenda.  Ask each candidate about the legislation, their positions, and their thoughts on how they would help advance this legislation should they be elected in November.
5.    Tell 3 People About ENDA. In the days leading up to the election, be sure to tell 3 people about the importance of ENDA, why the bill must remain trans-inclusive, and why it’s critical in these tough economic times.  To learn more about ENDA, please click here or paste the following link into your web browser: http://www.transequality.org/PDFs/ENDA_Toolkit.pdf
6.    Share this Alert with Your Friends and Family. While you talk with those most important to you about ENDA, be sure to share this action alert with them and encourage them to pass it along to people they care about to help spread the word today!

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