Tell the Senate to Protect LGBT Americans From Workplace Harassment and Discrimination

When Shari Hutchinson of Ohio started a new job, she set up her desk the same way that many of her-coworkers and millions of Americans do: she placed a framed picture of her spouse on her desk. But Shari’s spouse is Diane, and after Shari’s co-workers and managers learned that she is lesbian, they targeted her with homophobic taunts, ridicule, and harassment.

Over the next few years, this Ohio employer also repeatedly passed Shari over for promotions that went to significantly less qualified applicants, even when Shari had the highest score on the promotion exams. Shari unfairly lost one promotion to a straight woman who did not even pass the test required to even interview for the promotion.

Sadly, Ohio is one of the many states that has not yet passed a state law protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) employees from discrimination. That’s why Congress must pass federal LGBT workplace protections.

The good news is U.S. Senate will soon take a vote on the LGBT Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) for the first time in 17 years, and this commonsense proposal already has 59 Senate supporters and counting. ENDA simply says a corporation can’t fire you, harass you, or deny you a promotion just because of who you are or who you love.

We urge Congress to protect LGBT people from discrimination and harassment in the workplace by passing ENDA this year!