    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book I)]
    [April 24, 1997]
    [Pages 479-480]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on Proposed Employment Non-Discrimination Legislation
    April 24, 1997

        Today Vice President Gore and I met with a bipartisan delegation
    from Congress, representing the lead House and Senate sponsors of the
    ``Employment Non-Discrimination Act'' (``ENDA'')--an important piece of
    civil rights legislation which would extend basic employment
    discrimination protections to gay and lesbian Americans. At our meeting,
    I underscored my strong support of the bill, which will soon be
    reintroduced in Congress, and our intention to work hard for its
    passage.
        As I said in my State of the Union Address this January, we must
    never, ever believe that our diversity is a weakness, for it is our
    greatest strength. People on every continent can look to us and see the
    reflection of their own great potential, and they always will, as long
    as we strive to give all of our citizens an opportunity to achieve their
    own greatness. We're not there yet, and that is why ENDA is so
    important. It is about the right of each individual in America to be
    judged on their merits and abilities and to be allowed to contribute to
    society without facing unfair discrimination on account of sexual
    orientation. It is about our ongoing fight against bigotry and
    intolerance, in our country and in our hearts.
        I applaud the bipartisan efforts of Senators Jeffords, Kennedy, and
    Lieberman and Congressmen Shays and Frank to make the ``Employment Non-
    Discrimination Act'' the law. I also thank the members of the Human
    Rights Campaign and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, whose
    executive directors joined in our meeting, for their early support and
    hard work on behalf of this bill. It failed to win passage by only one
    vote in the Senate last year. My administration worked hard for its
    passage then, and we will continue our efforts until it becomes law.
        Discrimination in employment on the basis of sexual orientation is
    currently legal in 41 States. Most Americans don't know that men and
    women in those States may be fired from their jobs solely because of
    their sexual orientation, even when it is has no bearing on their job
    performance. Those who face this kind of job discrimination have no
    legal recourse in either our State or Federal courts. This is wrong.
        Individuals should not be denied a job on the basis of something
    that has no relationship to their ability to perform their work. Sadly,
    as the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee has documented during
    hearings held in the last Congress, this kind of job discrimination is
    not rare.
        The ``Employment Non-Discrimination Act'' is careful to apply
    certain exemptions. It provides

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    an exemption for small businesses, the Armed Forces, and religious
    organizations, including schools and other educational institutions that
    are substantially controlled or supported by religious organizations.
    This later provision respects the deeply held religious beliefs of many
    Americans. The bill specifically prohibits preferential treatment on the
    basis of sexual orientation, including quotas. It does not require
    employers to provide special benefits.
        As I indicated when I originally announced my support of this
    legislation in October of 1995, the bill in its current form appears to
    answer all the legitimate objections previously raised against it, while
    ensuring that Americans, regardless of their sexual orientation, can
    find and keep their jobs based on their ability and the quality of their
    work. It is designed to protect the rights of all Americans to
    participate in the job market without fear of unfair discrimination. I
    support it, and I urge all Americans to do so. And I urge Congress to
    pass it expeditiously.