Martin O'Malley Calls for Addition of LGBT Employment and Housing Protections in Federal Law
Martin O'Malley Calls for Addition of LGBT Employment and Housing Protections in Federal Law
Martin O'Malley @MartinOMalley
Last week #SCOTUS affirmed that marriage is a human right—but discrimination against LGBT employees is still far too prevalent. #ENDA
Martin O'Malley @MartinOMalley
As Gov., I helped expand laws to protect Marylanders on the basis of gender identity. Now we must expand those protections federally. #ENDA
____Democratic presidential candidate and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley on Monday called for the addition of LGBT employment and housing protections in federal law following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in favor of marriage equality.
“Last week the Supreme Court affirmed that marriage is a human right, and now gay and lesbian couples will be able to marry in every state in our country,” O’Malley said. “While this is a major step forward, our fight for equality continues. In a majority of states, gay and lesbian employees can still be denied job opportunities or fired solely based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Twenty-eight states also lack laws banning discrimination in housing.”
To enshrine into federal law employment protections for LGBT people, O’Malley said Congress should pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. The measure hasn’t yet been introduced in 114th Congress, but in years past it has prohibited employment discrimination in most cases on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
“Passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to expand these protections at the federal level is a necessary next step,” O’Malley said. “We must continue to improve our laws, to more fully protect the rights of every individual — and more fully realize the vision of an open, respectful, and inclusive nation that Friday’s decision aspires us to be.”
