President Barack Obama is being urged to sign an executive
order which would ban federal contractors from employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender
identity.
A group of 72 lawmakers led by New Jersey Congressman Frank Pallone
on Tuesday sent a letter to the president urging him to act.
The order, the lawmakers said, was vital to ensure that
gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees “receive the same protections and opportunities as all other
Americans.”
“In 1965, President Johnson established Executive Order 11246 prohibiting federal contractors from
discriminating against employees based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.”
“The opportunity to expand
protections against workplace discrimination to members of the LGBT community is a critical step that you can take today,
especially when data and research tell us that 43 percent of LGBT people and 90 percent of transgender people have
experienced workplace discrimination.”
The lawmakers noted that a majority of American companies say such protection
helps “attract the best talent, reduce employee turnover, and overall is a plus to their bottom lines.”
The House’s
four openly gay members – Representatives Barney Frank of Massachusetts, Jared Polis of Colorado, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin
and David Cicilline of Rhode Island – were among the lawmakers who signed the letter.
week showed an overwhelming majority (73%) of likely voters support such an order.