RUSH: By the way, this next stuff is great. Let me preface it by
giving you a little story here of what's going on out in San
Francisco. "National civil rights organizations are celebrating the
passage by the House of legislation that would add 'sexual
orientation' to a list of federally protected classes, but some San
Francisco groups refuse to take part in the party." They're not happy
about it. They are the transgender and transsexuals, and they're at
the back of the bus on this civil rights issue. "The vote Wednesday on
the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, also known as ENDA...was
ultimately revised to remove protection for transgender workers, which
upset gay rights groups here and across the country. ... 'People are
livid,' said John Newsome, co-founder of And Castro for All, a bias
awareness group. 'If the first step out of the gate leaves people
behind, it is an ill-conceived first step.'" Barney Frank was getting
tarred and feathered over this, and he told the transgenders and the
transsexuals (paraphrased), "Just take your time. You're going to
screw up this whole thing. We'll get this done in steps," but they're
not listening. They're not happy. Here's John Lewis, who marched
with Dr. King and got beat upside the head several times in the Selma
march and so forth, late yesterday on the floor of the House of
Representatives.

LEWIS: I, for one, fought too long and too hard to end discrimination
based on race and color, not to stand up against discrimination
against our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters. During the 1960s,
we broke down those signs that said "white" and "colored." Call it
what you mean, to discriminate against someone because they are gay,
is wrong, it is wrong! It is not right. Today we have an opportunity
to bring down those signs! Now is the time to do what is right, what
is fair, what is just! The time is always right to do right. Let us
pass this bill.

RUSH: And next up, Barney Frank, a portion of his remarks.

FRANK: I feel an obligation to 15-year-olds dreading to go to school
because of the torments, to people afraid they'll lose their job in a
gas station if someone finds out who they are. I feel an obligation
to use the status I have been lucky enough to get to help them, and I
want to ask my colleagues here, Mr. Speaker, on a personal basis,
"Please, don't fall for this sham. Don't send me out of here having
failed to help those people." Yeah, this is personal. There are
people who are your fellow citizens being discriminated against. We
have a simple bill that says, "You can go to work and be judged on how
you work, and not be penalized." Please don't turn your back on them.
(applause)

RUSH: Yup. San Francisco values have to be brought to the House of
Representatives here, and guess who the speaker is? Speaker is Nancy
Pelosi.

PELOSI: It's not that we're tolerant in my district in California and
San Francisco. It's that we have so much respect for the role that
each person plays in our society. So tolerance, maybe. Respect,
definitely. But let me also add, that it is the pride that we take in
that diversity, and it is the pride that I take in the gay lesbian
bisexual and transgender community that brings me to the floor today
to urge a "yes" vote on this important legislation.

RUSH: But it left out the transgenders! It left out the
transsexuals, and they're casting this as a civil rights issue. The
transgenders and transsexuals were told by the House of
Representatives to go to the back of the bus. That's what your House
of Representatives was doing yesterday, ladies and gentlemen.

It is with a very sad disposition that I annouce that ENDA just passed the house

 

Yeas: 235

Nays: 184

 

Here's a statement released by Matt Foreman, Executive Director
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Inc.

“We are deeply disappointed that House leadership decided to ignore the position of a vast majority of LGBT organizations, ignore the legal assessment that this bill may not even provide adequate protections for gays, lesbians and bisexuals, and ignore the fact that this vote might make it more difficult to persuade members of Congress to support a fully inclusive bill in the future. We are also disappointed that House leadership forced many members of its own caucus to choose between voting for a bill not supported by most in the LGBT community, or voting against a civil rights bill. This entire process has been painful, divisive and unnecessary. And worst of all, we went through all of this on behalf of a bill that the president has already said he would veto.

“The past six weeks have been among the most difficult and challenging our community has ever faced. When confronted with the possibility of Congress moving forward on a bill that stripped out protections for transgender people, the activist and grassroots backbone of our movement responded almost instantaneously in unprecedented numbers with conviction, passion and political savvy. United ENDA — a broad coalition of more than 360 national, statewide and local LGBT organizations, community centers and health clinics — fueled the effort. All of this has shaken the long-established order to its core and things will never be the same. While we are frustrated with the course of action that has been taken so far, we will not stop pressing forward toward our ultimate goal: nondiscrimination protections for everyone in our community.

“We are relieved this episode is behind us, and starting right now we are going to pick up where we were six weeks ago — namely, working to pass into law in 2009 the ENDA our entire community wants and deserves.

“We also applaud our champions in Congress who courageously fought in committee, in their caucus and on the floor to guarantee protections for all LGBT individuals. Many members of Congress took significant risks to buck their leadership and speak out in favor of an inclusive bill. Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) fought to bring an amendment to the floor to add gender identity protections. Reps. Rush Holt (D-N.J.), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) and Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) voted against the non-inclusive bill in the House Education and Labor Committee. Seven members voted against the bill on the floor today on the principle that the bill should have provided protections on the basis of gender identity: Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Rush Holt (D-N.J.), Michael Michaud (D-Maine), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.), Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) and Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.). The LGBT community will be forever grateful for their passionate support.”