End job discrimination

Kansas City Star: A recent poll found that 77 percent of Republicans believe it is wrong for employers to fire people solely because they are gay.

That statistic, from a poll conducted this summer by Fabrizio, McLaughlin and Associates, is encouraging.

But in 31 states, it’s perfectly legal to fire someone because they are openly gay. Too many employers still reject job applicants based on sexual orientation.

And if gay men and women make it into the workplace, their rights to equal pay and equal opportunities for promotion can be ignored.

The reality is that in 2007, four decades after the Civil Rights Act was passed, gay Americans still face discrimination in the workplace. It often is subtle, but it exists.

Gay employees must often hide their sexual identities from their employers and co-workers. They fear harassment or retribution. Many feel self-imposed pressure to work the hardest and the longest, to be the best employee possible, just in case.

Blacks, women, Hispanics, American Indians and older workers often face similar pressures; it is not a comfortable feeling.

Merit-based employment

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act, introduced in 2001 by Sen. Ted Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat, is now before Congress. It would add sexual orientation to the list of categories covered by federal discrimination law, reinforcing the principle that employment decisions should be based solely on merit. There is no need to delay; Congress should send the bill to the president for his signature.

Many objections to the legislation have been based on false premises. It would not require the Boy Scouts to hire an openly gay individual. The legislation specifically exempts private membership organizations and does not apply to unpaid, volunteer positions. Nor would the legislation prevent clergy from expressing their moral objections to homosexuality.

Those who hold moral objections have the right to their views. But remember, similar arguments were used to deny the rights of blacks and other groups earlier in our history.