Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today welcomed the White House’s announcement that President Obama will sign an executive order to prohibit federal contractors from discriminating against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) workers.
“There is absolutely no place for discrimination of any kind in the workplace. Our country is founded on the principles of liberty, equality, and justice for all. Those principles must extend to all of our citizens, including those in the LGBT community. It’s unacceptable that people can be fired at any time simply because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. This executive order should be reinforced by Congress to extend protections to all LGBT workers. Unfortunately, the House of Representatives has refused to even vote on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which the Senate passed seven months ago.”
Bennet is a cosponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which passed the Senate in November. The bill would provide workplace protections against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.