[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 81 (Thursday, June 23, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 23, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
INTRODUCTION OF H.R. 4636, THE EMPLOYMENT NONDISCRIMINATION ACT OF 1994

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                          HON. GERRY E. STUDDS

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 23, 1994

  Mr. STUDDS. Mr. Speaker, this morning I joined with Congressman 
Barney Frank and a bipartisan group of 105 original cosponsors in 
introducing H.R. 4636, the Employment Nondiscrimination Act of 1994. 
The introduction of this bill and its Senate counterpart, sponsored by 
Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John H. Chafee, marks the first time 
Federal legislation has been introduced specifically to provide redress 
for job discrimination based on sexual orientation.
  I was particularly honored this morning to stand with Coretta Scott 
King, widow of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and herself a 
revered leader of the civil rights movement; Justin Dart, who chaired 
the President's Committee on Employment of People With Disabilities 
during the Bush administration; and Ralph Neas, who serves as executive 
director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, which has 
formally endorsed the bill, as together we began a new chapter in our 
Nation's long journey toward justice and equality for all our citizens.
  This year we celebrate both the 40th anniversary of the Supreme 
Court's historic decision in Brown versus Board of Education and the 
30th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. During 
the past three decades, the Congress has built on those achievements by 
enacting a series of statutes to guarantee full civic equality for all 
Americans, regardless of race, religion, gender, national origin, age, 
or disability.
  This is a legacy to be cherished and celebrated. Yet as we look at 
how far we have come as a society, we see also how far we have yet to 
go. Discrimination persists even where forbidden by statute. And 
millions of citizens still have no legal protection from discrimination 
at all. Each year, gay and lesbian Americans, and others who are 
perceived to be lesbian or gay, suffer job discrimination for which 
they have no recourse under Federal law.
  That is why my colleagues and I have introduced the Employment 
Nondiscrimination Act. The act is simple, clear, and direct. It confers 
no special rights or privileges. Rather, it affirms that workers are 
entitled to be judged on the strength of the work they do, and should 
not be deprived of their livelihood because of the prejudice of others.
  This is a principle with which every American can identify. Millions 
came to these shores in search of opportunity--the opportunity to build 
a decent life through one's own hard work and ingenuity. I believe that 
when our fellow citizens learn how frequently lesbians and gay men are 
denied that basic promise of the American dream, they will agree that 
something must be done.
  In her remarks this morning, Mrs. King said:

       I support the Employment Nondiscrimination Act of 1994 
     because I believe that freedom and justice cannot be parceled 
     out in pieces to suit political convenience. As my husband, 
     Martin Luther King, Jr., said, ``Injustice anywhere is a 
     threat to justice everywhere.'' On another occasion he said, 
     ``I have worked too long and hard against segregated public 
     accommodations to end up segregating my moral concern. 
     Justice is indivisible.'' Like Martin, I don't believe you 
     can stand for freedom for one group of people and deny it to 
     others.

  Mr. Speaker, such eloquent words say all one need say about the need 
for this legislation. I welcome the support of so many of my 
congressional colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans, and the 
scores of civil rights, labor, and religious leaders who have endorsed 
the bill. I am confident that H.R. 4636 will also find broad support 
within the business community and among decent, hardworking Americans 
from every walk of life.

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