I didn’t want to let the day pass without an acknowledgment of the historic signing by President Obama of an executive order to ban federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The order also added “gender identity” to an executive order of President Clinton that banned discrimination against federal employees on the basis of sexual orientation. Today’s order will directly benefit many LGBTQ people and their families — but it isn’t enough.
As The Task Force pointed out in a tweet today, “More states allow same-sex marriage than prohibit discrimination against LGBT workers.” Federal contractors employ 34 million workers, which equals about 22 percent of the American workforce, according to UCLA’s Williams Institute. Today’s order was a big step in the right direction, but clearly doesn’t get us to the finish line. (Also, many federal contractors already offer such protections.) Now it’s up to Congress to pass an Employment Nondiscrimination Act for all. When that will happen (and if it will include religious exemptions that make it toothless) is anybody’s guess.
Nevertheless, let’s applaud President Obama for going further than any other president in giving LGBTQ people and our families the same chance at economic security as anybody else.
