Comments on: ENDA’s not pro-business, it’s anti-competition

By: The Livewire

The Livewire — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:58:06 +0000

care to put a source to that, galefan? Considering I’m in Ohio and all…

By: galefan2004

galefan2004 — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:27:58 +0000

You have to be freaking kidding me with this one. Do you honestly feel that you need to back big business over homosexuality? What you fail to realize is that while Fortune 500 companies might be instituting these policies anyways (which some prove absolute contradictions to that statement such as Exxon), its places like schools and public offices that refuse to hire gays and lesbians on an overwhelming basis. School teachers in Ohio can be, and have been, fired simply for being gay. I’m sorry if ENDA might offend some of your big business friends, but the truth is that when you get your head out of rich white america’s arse you quickly learn that ENDA is needed.

By: volpi

volpi — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:41:46 +0000

you do not answer unpleasant questions.Why the civil rights act was more legitimate than enda? was it legitimate or not?In louisiana bobby jindal let drop an anti-discrimination law one year ago,with the justification that no federal or state law protected lgbt people. Was it right?I can have doubts about the application of such laws,but the principle of protection should be enshrined into law. do you have answers or this is a blog only for a small group of friends that have the same ideas? i beg you pardon for my english,but i am a mother language italian

By: John

John — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:04:09 +0000

I would agree that calling ENDA “pro-business” legislation is a bit of a stretch (I see it as neutral business-wise), but I do agree with it in general for sexual orientation. Where I have I concerns with the proposed law is the enforcement, especially as it comes to “gender identity”. That to me seems like a loophole large enough for the proverbial Mack truck to drive through. For example, I do not consider it discriminatory at all that pre-op transsexuals are not allowed to use the same public bathroom or changing facilities that persons of their desired gender use. Most transgendered activists I’ve seen dismiss this as rightwing scare tactics involving false accusation of potential child molestation, but really we don’t even have to go there. It’s about common decency and respect for the general public which many of these activists ignore. Unless we are going to advocate uni-sex public facilities across the board, I do not find it unreasonable to make it a rule that one have the outer parts match the gender of the facilities they are using.

By: volpi

volpi — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:46:31 +0000

you should explicitate your thought in a more general way;after you could judge the error of your reasoning.In 1964 the civil rights act was succesful in its aim to desegregate the south states and contained similar provisions concerning employment,that resulted necessary to end jim crow.In fact jim crow was anti-economical for the reasons you have reported and in a rational market it should not have existed. But social stigma was sufficient to mantain it ,against the forces of free market.In some states the firing of lgbt people do not cause legal or social problems and the federal government should protect these people like it did for blacks in 1964.

By: Leah

Leah — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 01:14:49 +0000

So I know it can be done by private action, when people of goodwill are willing to use persuasion.

I bet that you wouldn’t have been as successful with government help.

By: SoCalRobert

SoCalRobert — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:48:39 +0000

Re Log Cabin: Robert Conquest’s 2nd law of politics: Any organization not explicitly right-wing sooner or later becomes left-wing.

By: ILoveCapitalism

ILoveCapitalism — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:47:20 +0000

Dan, thanks for this post. Someone had to say it – that government mandates as such are anti-business, and ENDA is just another needless federal mandate. You could add that it’s anti-States’ rights, as well.

In the 1990s I had the privilege of being a gay activist at a certain large, trend-setting corporation. Over a period of several years, several dozen of us got the company to have a non-discrimination policy, marketing and hiring outreach to the gay community, and finally Domestic Partner benefits. So I know it can be done by private action, when people of goodwill are willing to use persuasion. The government didn’t help us for jack squat – this was the era when the Democrats were busy creating DADT, and pretending to dislike DOMA but signing it anyway and boasting about it – and we didn’t need government help. All it took was courage, rationality and a bit of patience.