Current Affairs

In 29 US states you can be fired for being gay, Obama says this must end

Sep 09 2013
Written by James Park

President Obama has reignited the campaign for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) that will make it illegal for employers to sack workers for being gay.

The US currently has very few states with anti-discrimination laws. Few states have a law which prohibits an employer from firing or refusing to hire someone because he or she is gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. In 29 states it is legal to sack someone for being LGBT.

ENDA would change that by adding sexual orientation and gender identity to federal workplace discrimination protection, including race, religion, gender and disability.

The president’s official website is running an online campaign in favour of the anti-discrimination measure and the pesident has posted a series of Tweets in support.

In 29 states, no state law protects you from being fired for being gay. Let's fix that: https://t.co/gK0BOaCW7i #ENDA pic.twitter.com/N5GWq2d0co

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 8, 2013

Last month, Consumer goods company Procter and Gamble has joined a coalition of businesses backing a bipartisan effort of end workplace discrimination based on sexuality and gender identity.

It has been illegal to sack someone for being gay across the whole of the UK since 2003.