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A coalition of faith and humanist groups issued a letter this morning, calling on President Barack Obama to use his executive power to sign an Executive Order that would bar discrimination by federal contractors based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Led by the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, the collection of 23 faith and humanist organizations said, "We believe that no one should face discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity: Our various faith traditions and belief systems counsel the treatment of all people with dignity. They inspire us to act with compassion and to work to ensure that all are accorded respect and equal opportunity. Moreover, many of us draw on our experience as members of groups that historically have known discrimination as a reminder of the importance of such anti-discrimination measures as a means of ensuring fairness in employment."

This letter comes on the heels of continued advocacy by LGBT organizations, including GetEQUAL and many others -- calling on the White House to reconsider its decision to not sign such an Executive Order at this time. The letter also echoes recent editorials from The New York Times and The Washington Post, and a sign-on letter signed by 72 Congressional Democrats.

"We are thrilled today that the faith and humanist community is adding their voices to this debate, and are echoing the calls for President Obama to protect and affirm those who experience workplace discrimination simply for who they are," said Heather Cronk, managing director of GetEQUAL and a seminary graduate. "We continue to call on President Obama to do the morally right thing and to take every action possible to protect Americans from harassment and bullying in the workplace."

The letter is as follows:

May 3, 2012

ISSUE AN EXECUTIVE ORDER PROTECTING LGBT AMERICANS FROM DISCRIMINATION BY U.S. GOVERNMENT CONTRACTORS

Dear President Obama:

On behalf of the undersigned groups representing a wide variety of faith and belief systems, including non-theistic beliefs, we write to express our disappointment in your decision not to issue an executive order to include sexual orientation and gender identity among the prohibited forms of discrimination in the hiring and employment practices of U.S. government contractors.

We believe that no one should face discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity: Our various faith traditions and belief systems counsel the treatment of all people with dignity. They inspire us to act with compassion and to work to ensure that all are accorded respect and equal opportunity. Moreover, many of us draw on our experience as members of groups that historically have known discrimination as a reminder of the importance of such anti-discrimination measures as a means of ensuring fairness in employment.

LGBT Americans face significant discrimination and harassment in the workplace, which threatens their and their families’ economic security. Research has shown that up to 43 percent of gay Americans have experienced some form of workplace discrimination or harassment; this number is significantly higher for transgender Americans (90%). Moreover, between 8 and 17 percent of LGBT workers said that they had been passed over for a job or fired as a result of their sexual orientation or gender identity. As a result of this discrimination, 14 percent of LGBT Americans earn less than $10,000 per year, compared to only six percent of all Americans (Center for American Progress and the Williams Institute,Memo to Congressman Barney Frank re: LGBT Equality in Government Contracting, January 13, 2012).

The concept of prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in employment is supported among Americans of all political stripes. A poll commissioned by the Center for American Progress discovered that almost three-quarters of those asked supported protecting LGBT people from discrimination in the workplace. Supermajorities of Democrats (81%), Independents (74%), and Republicans (66%) all supported anti-discrimination provisions (Memo to Congressman Barney Frank re: LGBT Equality in Government Contracting).

For these reasons, we strongly urge you to reconsider issuing an executive order prohibiting discrimination by U.S. government contractors on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Signed,

• Anti-Defamation League
• American Humanist Association
• American Conference of Cantors
• Central Conference of American Rabbis
• The Center for Inquiry
• The Episcopal Church
• The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries
• Friends Committee on National Legislation
• Global Justice Ministries
• Interfaith Alliance
• Institute for Science and Human Values
• Jewish Reconstructionist Federation
• Metropolitan Community Churches
• Muslims for Progressive Values
• National Council of Jewish Women
• National Council of Churches USA
• National Minority AIDS Council
• Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association
• Secular Coalition for America
• Union for Reform Judaism
• Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
• United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries
• Women of Reform Judaism

GetEQUAL is a national, direct action lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization. Emphasizing direct action and people power, the mission of GetEQUAL is to empower the LGBT community and its allies to take action to demand full legal and social equality, and to hold accountable those who stand in the way. For more information on GetEQUAL, please visit: http://www.getequal.org. You can follow GetEQUAL on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/getequal, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/GetEQUAL, or on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/getequal.

 

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