Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic leadership are pushing legislation, written by Rep. Barney Frank, that would made it illegal for employers to discriminate against transgendered people.
The bill scares centrist Democrats, who don't want to be forced to vote on a hot-button issue popular on the left as they approach November congressional elections in which heavy Democratic losses are expected.
Gay rights groups are pushing for a House vote this month, and the legislation from Frank, who is gay and hired the first openly transgendered aide on Capitol Hill, would broaden the reach of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.
The 2007 version, which won support from some centrists, prohibited hiring on the grounds of sexual orientation but not gender identity; it passed the House easily, 235-184, with 35 Republican votes.
Backers of the transgender provision are hoping that larger Democratic majorities in Congress and the public support from the Obama administration will lead to passage of the bill, but the sensitivity of the issue threatens to exacerbate an already challenging election year environment for Democrats. Bringing it to the floor in the next several weeks could also buck Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) pledge to save vulnerable members from tough votes following the bruising healthcare debate.
To recap, America apparently hates the transgendered even more than illegal immigrants, and the people who are already mad at the Dems for voting for health care (they're called conservatives, from what I hear) might not vote for anyone who extends rights to Americans who are regularly discriminated against. The horror.
Doing the right thing apparently doesn't enter into the equation. Congress: we care more about our jobs than a couple million Americans being able to keep theirs.
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