Introduced earlier this week, the Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA) would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. It creates express protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people similar to those available under existing federal discrimination laws for other protected classes of workers.

Did you know that:
In 38 states you can be fired from your job if you are transgender, and in 30 states you can be fired from your job if you are lesbian, gay or bisexual?

Clearly, the bill also impacts COLAGErs and our families because of the important security it provides when we know our parents and loved ones can't lose their jobs based merely on the fact of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

As a member of the COLAGE Community, please take action today to help for the swift passage of ENDA.

1. Call your representative by dialing theU.S. Capitol switchboard at 202.224.3121. Identify yourself as a constituent and tell them to share this message with your elected officials: "As a person with a _______ parent/As a ______ person and a member of Representative ___________'s constituency, I would like you to please tell Representative _______ that I would like him/her to become a cosponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. ENDA would ban discrimination against all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the workplace. Can you tell me whether or not Representative _______ has cosponsored the bill?"

2. Schedule a meeting with your member of Congress or his or her staff in a district office. Many representatives are home during August so its an ideal time to meet your elected official. Ask other members of your COLAGE Chapter, school, faith community or family to join you. During the meeting, tell your personal story and ask for the support of your Congresspeople for ENDA. You can find a list of district offices here.

3. Write a positive letter to the editor expressing support for ENDA. Call on your Representative and Senators to fight to pass an ENDA that includes all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and provide heartfelt reasons (like a personal story) for why it is the right thing to do.

For more information go to www.unitedenda.org. If you want to learn more, or have a story about how workplace discrimination has impacted you and/or or your family, contact Meredith Fenton, COLAGE Program Director.