Civilrights.org

The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), the nation's oldest and largest civil and human rights coalition, released the following statement today on the House passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

Wade Henderson, LCCR president and CEO, said:

"We applaud the House for passing this important civil rights bill.  It has been a long time coming.

But this is not a perfect bill because it does not cover transgender Americans who are among the most victimized by workplace discrimination.  However, we do see it for what it is–an important first step that will extend workplace protections to millions of gay, lesbian, and bisexual workers who are currently unprotected."

Nancy Zirkin, LCCR vice president and director of policy, said:

"While we celebrate this victory, we do not intend to let another 10 years pass before we protect the entire community.  Today's passage creates momentum that we intend to use to push for legislation that is fully inclusive."