The Employment Non-Discrimination Act, also known as ENDA, is currently being reintroduced in Congress and as a member of COLAGE you are in a unique position to affect the fate of the bill. When LGBTQ parents are subject to workplace discrimination, COLAGErs face the everyday reality that our families are vulnerable to economic hardship.

Why ENDA matters: ENDA prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of gender identity and/or sexual orientation. While some states and localities already have laws similar to ENDA, nearly 60% of the U.S. population is currently not afforded these protections. This means that in 30 states it is currently legal to fire someone based on their sexual orientation and in 38 states a person can be fired based on their gender identity or expression. The passage of ENDA would guarantee all people in the United States are protected from workplace discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. This is a valuable step in providing the millions of people with LGBTQ parents in this country with the financial stability all families deserve.

What you can do:

Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard and tell your Representative why ENDA matters to your family: (202) 224-3121. Give your zip code and ask to be connected to your Representative.

Say: My name is _____ and a proud resident of (your city, state ). I am calling in support of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 3017), to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from job discrimination. Please pass ENDA NOW! I can be reached at _______ (give your phone number and street address). Thank you.

ALSO: As a COLAGEr or LGBTQ parent, be sure to include your own story.

For Example:

Hi, my name is Jeff DeGroot and a proud resident of Corvallis, Oregon. As the son of a lesbian parent, I faced the reality that my lesbian mother could have been fired from her job as a teacher because she was a lesbian. Luckily for my family, laws have been passed in Oregon to protect my family but I want to make sure the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 3017) is passed nationally so no family faces workplace discrimination. Please pass ENDA NOW!

Or, send an email by clicking here.

2010 must be our year, and the moment is now. Please take action. Together, we can move mountains.