ENDA Passes the House

Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) has led the fight to pass the Employment and Non-Discrimination Act for over three decades. Thanks to his untiring efforts, it passed the House yesterday. The New York Times reports that the bill is likely to pass the Senate early in the new year. What a difference Democratic control of Congress makes.

The Republicans tried to kill the bill not by honestly admitting that they favor continued discrimination but through endless specious attempts to claim that the bill somehow legalizes gay marriage. The following YouTube makes plain their parliamentary maneuvers but also, more importantly, shows at least one reason I'm proud to be a Democrat.



I suspect the bill will do more as a symbol than in terms of actual prevention of discrimination. This bill is a public statement by the body representing the people of this country that gays and lesbians are a part of the fabric of the American family. That truth may eventually lead to gay marriage and is reflected in the rapid evolution of public opinion on this issue. It may also lead to the end of the ability of Republicans to divide us and gain power based on such questions. I'm not sure which the formerly-Grand Old Party fears more.