|
Over 100,000 Americans have signed a Change.org petition demanding that President Obama protect the LGBT employees of companies that accept federal contracts. Details follow.
Freedom to Work launched the petition which points out that all it takes for Obama to end the discrimination of federal contracting jobs (which account for 22 percent of the nation's jobs!) is an executive order.
“The strong response to Freedom to Work’s online petition shows that Americans don't want their taxpayer dollars squandered on workplace harassment and anti-LGBT discrimination," said Tico Almeida, founder and president of Freedom to Work. "Our government should never subsidize prejudice.”
“I predict President Obama will soon sign the executive order because it's the right thing to do, and also because he can use this as a winning wedge issue in the upcoming election," Almeida added. "The polling is strongly on our side, and even a majority of Republican voters support workplace nondiscrimination for LGBT Americans. If the Republican star Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin could vote to ban anti-gay discrimination in 2007, then President Obama can certainly sign this simple executive order in 2012."
According to Freedom to Work's press release:
By signing the executive order, President Obama would effectively require all businesses under contract with the U.S. government to protect their employees from harassment and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Such an executive order has existed for many decades for African-Americans, Latinos, women, religious minorities, and other groups that face workplace discrimination. The order would give the U.S. Department of Labor enforcement oversight to insure that government contractors have appropriate policies in place. Additionally, under the proposed executive order, workers at federal contractors would be able to seek back-wages and reinstatement if they are fired for discriminatory reasons because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
You can sign the Change.org petition here.
 |
