points of action

Yesterday the House approved the newest version of the Employment Nondiscrimination Act, a bill that has been in the works since Bella Abzug put out the call for legislation on the fifth anniversary of the Stonewall Attacks. The bill makes it illegal “to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise discriminate against any individual with respect to the compensation, terms, conditions or privileges of employment of the individual, because of such individual’s actual or perceived sexual orientation.”
Perhaps you thought that this was included in the Federal Civil Rights Act, but no, although many states do already have laws protecting against discrimination based on sexual orientation. Unfortunately, in order to get this bill through the House, certain pieces had to be removed, including language granting protections to transsexual and transgender individuals. So if your “perceived ” orientation is protected, in other words, what other people think you are, does this mean you’re safe from discrimination, as long as you pass & use the right bathroom?