Representative Frank Reintroduces Employment Non-Discrimination Act Acknowledging Chance Of Successful Passage Slim

The Boston Globe reports that United States Representative Barney Frank revived a signature piece of legislation today that bars workplace discrimination against gays, lesbians and transgender people, but acknowledged that the bill has little chance of passing this session. The Newton, Massachusetts Democrat has introduced the Employment Non-Discrimination Act every session for decades, and Wednesday’s announcement was subdued, given the near certainty the bill will again fail. “I will acknowledge at the outset that the likelihood of the Republican Congress adopting it in the House is small, but it is still very important to have it introduced,” Frank said. The bill seemed to see its best chance for passage last session when Democrats controlled both chambers, but Democratic leaders made repeal of the military’s policy prohibiting openly gay service members a priority, along with a hate crimes bill that included penalties for violence against people who identify with the opposite sex, and last November’s election doomed the workplace bill to at least two more years of limbo. In recent years, Frank has insisted that the workplace bill retain language protecting transgender workers along with gay and lesbian workers, a provision that caused some more conservative lawmakers to drop their support. "We have reduced the resistance on the transgender issue, but that's still in play," he said.