Statements of Support for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act
The following statements were made at the press conference announcing the introduction of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act on April 24, 2007, in Washington, D.C.
- Joe Solmonese, President of the Human Rights Campaign
- Steve Keyes,Vice President for Compensation, Benefits and Human Resources Policy at Nationwide
- The Rev. Dennis W. Wiley, Ph.D.,Pastor of Covenant Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.
Joe Solmonese
President of the Human Rights Campaign
Thank you, Representatives Frank, Pryce, Baldwin and Shays for your steadfast support of this critical piece of legislation.
My name is Joe Solmonese, and I am president of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender advocacy organization.
In 1974, the first federal piece of legislation banning discrimination against our community was introduced in Congress. New York Congresswoman Bella Abzug, who introduced the legislation, understood that GLBT Americans have a great deal to contribute to their country and want a level playing field where they can do their jobs — like everyone else.
At the time, that idea was seen as a relatively radical notion. But that was 1974.
Today, nearly 90 percent of Americans believe that gays and lesbians should have equal employment opportunities. Furthermore, a healthy majority of Americans support congressional action to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.
Across the board, the majority of Americans believe employment decisions should be based on a person’s qualifications and work ethic. And it goes against our most fundamental American values to fire someone based solely upon who they are.
This bill isn’t about excusing lackluster job performance. It is about giving all hardworking Americans a fair chance to get ahead without discrimination or bias.
Many of America’s top corporate leaders have already figured out that a workplace free of discrimination and bias is good for business — and good for the American workforce.
Absent any federal mandate, the Human Rights Campaign has spent more than a decade working with corporate America to implement their own inclusive policies. Most of corporate America now understands that the policies embodied in ENDA make them better companies.
Today, an overwhelming number of Fortune 500 companies prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and a growing number include gender identity.
As of March 2007, nearly 90 percent of Fortune 500 corporations include sexual orientation in their non-discrimination policies and a quarter of the Fortune 500 include gender identity.
However, today in 33 states it is legal to fire someone who is otherwise qualified simply cause of his or her sexual orientation. The same is true in 42 states based on gender identity.
We have been asking Congress to rectify this problem. And, for too long, our pleas have fallen victim to partisan politics. Now, with the fair-minded leaders standing with us this afternoon, we have the best opportunity in more than a decade to achieve congressional action on this critical legislation.
Representatives Frank, Pryce, Baldwin and Shays are going to have a unique window of opportunity to move this bipartisan legislation forward. And the Human Rights Campaign will be working tirelessly alongside them to do everything we can to get this bill to the president’s desk.
With the incredible leaders of Congress standing up here today, we are going to make ENDA a major civil rights victory for the 21st century.
And when we do, America will be stronger. We will be stronger because millions of Americans will have greater economic security for their families. And we will be stronger because in cubicles and on factory floors, and at check-out counters all over the country, employees will be more efficient and more productive.
We are a nation predicated on equality. And over the years, we have embraced an increasingly broader and more inclusive vision of what that means. By passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, we will simply be adding another proud chapter to the amazing American story of opportunity.
Thank you.
Steve Keyes
Vice President for Compensation, Benefits and Human Resources Policy at Nationwide, a member of the Business Coalition for Workplace Fairness
On behalf of Nationwide CEO Jerry Jurgensen and all 36,000 Nationwide associates, it is our pleasure to be here today to support federal workplace non-discrimination legislation that would extend basic job protections to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans.
Nationwide has a long-standing history as company that is committed to fostering a workplace environment of inclusiveness, respect and non-discrimination. In fact, Nationwide was named to the Human Rights Campaign’s annual list of the Best Places to Work for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Equality.
At Nationwide, we are guided by a set of core values, which include valuing people and trusting and respecting each other. We embrace diversity and inclusion, and the values of every individual. All of our associates, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, feel that they are equally protected and valued by the company.
It’s our responsibility as an employer to do everything we can to create a welcoming work environment. We educate our employees about our policies and about diversity through training and open communication.
Nationwide’s equal employment opportunity/non-discrimination and harassment policies specifically state that we will not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any associate based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
These policies are an important part of our business objectives. Having a corporate culture that embraces diversity improves the productivity of our associates, helps the company recruit the best talent and makes Nationwide more competitive in the insurance and financial services industry. Our culture puts us at an advantage — our associates have an environment that allows them to do their best work, without worry or threat of discrimination.
This legislation would simply and fairly extend the fundamental right to be judged on one’s own merits, without placing excessive burdens on employers. The act merely embodies the principle of non-discrimination that already enjoys the wide support of the American people.
After a thorough analysis of its provisions, we are convinced that the Employment Non-Discrimination Act is an appropriate, no-cost measure that will have a positive impact on our country, by extending protection in the majority of U.S. states where it remains legal to fire employees who are GLBT.
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act will create more workplaces like Nationwide’s. It’s the right thing to do and the right time to do it.
We are proud to be here today to stand up with these other employers for the future of the American workforce. We congratulate the bill's bi-partisan co-sponsors, including Congresswoman Deborah Pryce, who represents part of Columbus, Ohio, the home to Nationwide’s corporate headquarters.
Nationwide urges Congress to join Representatives Pryce, Frank, Shays and Baldwin; the Human Rights Campaign; and companies here today in support of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Thank you.
The Rev. Dennis W. Wiley, Ph.D.
Pastor of Covenant Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.
My name is Reverend Dennis W. Wiley and I come to you today in support of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act as pastor of Covenant Baptist Church, a Black Baptist Church in the inner city of Washington, D.C. Located in Ward 8 — the ward with the highest rates of poverty, unemployment and HIV/AIDS in our city — our church has a rich history not only of serving our community, but also of welcoming our community into our fellowship. As such, I come with a unique appreciation for how class, culture, race, religion, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation and other socioeconomic factors often intersect to place certain human beings at an extreme disadvantage in comparison with other human beings. In a church, then, in which we proudly and unashamedly affirm our African heritage, we have adopted a vision of radical inclusion because we believe that all of God’s children “are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, [and] that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
These immortal words from our nation’s own Declaration of Independence remind us just how hypocritical government, society and even the Christian church can sometimes be when we preach one thing and practice another. My question for you today is how could you consider not passing this bill if it will help to protect the citizens of this country from discrimination and ensure that all enjoy the right to work, to earn a living, to provide for themselves and their families and to realize their full God-given potential.
Howard Thurman, the great African American preacher, teacher and author once wrote, “I have always wanted to be me without making it difficult for you to be you.” Our nation has painfully experienced the tragic consequences when anyone determines to limit, stifle or destroy the potential of another. Not only do the victims suffer but, indeed, all of us suffer — including the perpetrators. I know something about this because, as a Black man in America, I have experienced firsthand the injustice of being discriminated against not because of what I could do, but simply because of who I was. Consequently, I made up my mind a long time ago that I would never intentionally oppress others in the manner in which I myself have been oppressed. For, as Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
As we have welcomed same-gender-loving persons into our congregation, we have felt the pain they feel of having to conceal their identity on their jobs, in their schools, in their faith communities and even in their own homes. We have also felt the sense of joy, fulfillment and empowerment they feel when they are free to function in an environment where they are not judged because of their sexual identity, but are celebrated because they are a gift to the world. And although our church has come under attack by conservative Christians who have condemned all homosexuals to hell, we have found them to be some of the most committed, talented and dedicated members of our church.
In her memorable message to the grief-stricken community of Virginia Tech one week ago, the poet Nikki Giovanni said, “No one deserves a tragedy.” With that powerful message and that deadly tragedy still resounding in our heads and hearts, I urge you to pass the ENDA because it is equally true that no one deserves discrimination!