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ENDA Lobbying Comes to Michiganseed010_eric_dickerson
(Crystal A. Proxmire, April 3, 2014)
“We need to live in a country where you can get married on a Friday and not have to worry about being fired on Monday.”
The sentiment was shared by Human Rights Campaign Michigan Field Organizer Allison Van Kuiken at the ENDA campaign kick-off at Affirmations in March.
ENDA is the Employment Non Discrimination Act that would provide protection for LGBT people against employment discrimination across the country, and the HRC is lobbying to make it happen.
The bill has already passed in the Senate and is close to having enough votes to pass in the House, including BTLWeddingExpo_144x360Republican and Democratic.  But a procedural rule means that the Speaker of the House can prevent the matter from coming to the floor for a vote.  In this case, VanKuiken said, Republican leadership is scared.
“We’re told that they won’t take the vote until after the primaries, so it could happen in August or they may even hold it until November,” she said.  She explained that when Republicans come out in favor of any pro-LGBT measures, far-right conservatives come after them with opponents in primary races.  “It’s great news for us because it gives us time to get organized.”
The HRC has identified key Republican leaders to lobby, including Michigan House Representative Candice Miller.  Miller voted for ENDA in 2007 and has also supported other pro-women legislation in the past.  The HRC is hoping to convince her to help clear the way for a vote.
Over 30 people attended the kick off meeting to learn how to get involved in the lobbying effort. Shannon Salk of Ferndale was among the volunteers.  “I think from my perspective everyone deserves thedda_ad_06 dignity of a job,” she said.  “It’s irresponsible not to pass this in the kind of economy we have. I have a friend who has been impacted by discrimination, so I know how important it is.”  She said that a friend had been harassed at work by a co-worker for being gay, and when they reported it to a manager, the manager fired them both.
The fight for employment protection is happening at federal, state and local levels.  ENDA would mean everyone in the United States would have protection.  At the state level in Michigan there is a push to amend the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act which already protects people on the basis of religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight and marital status.  Elliott-Larsen includes not only employment discrimination, but also housing and public accommodations.
Because Republican leadership in Michigan is not inclined to amend Elliott-Larsen to include sexual seed11_monte_albertorientation and gender identity, individual communities have enacted local human rights ordinances. Over 30 cities across Michigan have local nondiscrimination ordinances, including Detroit, Lansing, Ann Arbor, Ferndale, Royal Oak, and Muskegon.
VanKuiken was one of the organizers of the One Royal Oak Campaign which got a local human rights ordinance passed in the city just last year.  After her work on that successful campaign, the HRC has entrusted her with leading the lobbying in Michigan on ENDA.
The work involves coordinating volunteers to work phone banks out of Affirmations, where volunteers will call HRC members in Miller’s District to ask them if they would support ENDA.  “We want to show Candice Miller that people who live in her district want this,” VanKuiken said.  “It’s the easiest phone banking we’ve done because we’re calling HRC members who we already know support our work. But we still need to make thousands of calls.”waterwork
Participants also sent personal letters to Miller’s office.  Bradley Gartin of Berkley was among those who wrote a letter.   “I know that you voted for it in 2007, and I hope that you would again.  Michigan is losing jobs left and right and the passage of ENDA would bring back jobs to Michigan. Everyone deserves the dignity of a job and the diversity ENDA brings will essentialstrengthen the workplace.  I ask you to please stand up for all American workers and pass ENDA.”
Lobbying efforts include identifying pro-equality corporations to express their support, showing support within Miller’s constituency, and building up grassroots awareness of the issue.  Support of Republicans, small business owners and the faith community is an important part of the HRC outreach.
“There is a tremendous amount of support for this in the GOP.  They have family and friends that are gay.  Most support it but they have 30% of them that are a vocal minority that they don’t know how to deal with,” she said.
For more information on the fight for ENDA, visit http://www.hrc.org/laws-and-legislation/federal-legislation/employment-non-discrimination-act.