Wednesday marked a major victory for the gay rights movement when the House of Representatives approved the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, according to The New York Times. The legislation protects gays, lesbians and bisexuals from workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Critics argue that passing the bill will ignite an onslaught of lawsuits across the country. However looking at historical situations, Civil rights era lawsuits like Brown v. Board of Education brought an end to the discrimination, not the opposite.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and openly gay Representative Barney Frank (D-Massachusetts) risked infuriating Democrats and gay-rights activists by removing the sections allotting protection to transsexuals and transgenders in order to garner enough Republican support.
It was certainly wrong for Pelosi to remove the causes protecting gender identity, but those changes can't be too far down the road. As much as many college students would like to see this law swoop down and make same-sex marriage legal and give life partners the same rights as spouses, society needs time to digest and accept changes one at a time.
History teaches us that progress on civil rights is never easy, Pelosi said wisely in The New York Times article by David M. Herszenhorn. It is often marked by small and difficult steps.
For those employees who are affected by the new legislation, the victory should not be used as a weapon, but rather a defense mechanism if discrimination or sexual harassment occurs. Just because a battle was won doesn't mean there's a war going on. Threatening to sue for discrimination is not the path to universal acceptance.
Apparently, only the Republicans remembered to vote
Republican Christopher C. Collins wins by landslide in County Executive election
Despite having a democratic Governor Eliot Spitzer in office and a democratic majority in the House of Representatives, republican Christopher C. Collins triumphed over democrat James P. Keane for Erie County executive. According to The Buffalo News, Collins, a business man from Clarence, connected with voters eager for a plan to lead them to change, more so than his retired counterpart Keane.
Low voter turnout throughout Buffalo, even in democratic strongholds such as West Seneca, where democrats outnumber republicans two to one, were factors that lead to a republican victory. In Erie County, only 28 percent of voters are registered republicans, according to The Buffalo News.
Even though President Bush has nearly negative approval ratings, democrats can't open the champagne and declare victory just yet. The republican victory in Erie County proves that politicians need to be upfront about their plans for office if elected.
Strange Bedfellows
Giuliani endorsed by Pat Robertson and has clear stance on issues, unlike his opponents
Rudy Giuliani is having the best week ever. In a surprising move, ultraconservative evangelical preacher Pat Robertson has given Giuliani his support for the presidential nomination, much to the dismay of Mitt Romney. Backing Giuliani seems like the last thing Robertson would do, since Giuliani takes liberal stances on abortion and gay marriage, added to the fact that he's twice divorced and estranged from his children.
Despite Robertson's eccentric views on 9/11, he recognizes Giuliani's conviction. While all other politicians have been weak on issues such as the Iraq War, troop withdrawal or troop increases, Giuliani strongly supported the president's decision to invade, and wants to increase troop levels. Robertson's current vendetta is against the terrorists; he's looking for someone that can defend the country against the blood lust of terrorists, he said in The New York Times.
Whether or not students agree with Robertson or Giuliani, it's refreshing to see a public figure voice his opinion and back a candidate, facing the criticism that accompanies such a head on choice. It's important for public figures to come forward and shed light on our electoral process.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
