The Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi (D) delayed plans for a revision on ENDA (Employment Non-Discrimination Act) that would include Transgender people. Pelosi has been pressured by lobbyist, activist and nameless gay groups to introduce a revised bill that includes Transgender people. But after an internal vote by Democrats in the House of Representatives, Pelosi and supporters of the bill that would include Transgender people found that the bill would’ve died when including Sexual Identity as a category of people that cannot be discriminated against when it comes to the issue of employment.

This internal vote only included Democrats of the house, which is now the majority. Many activists are splitting and taking sides on this political issue. Some activist say this bill is a stepping stone or step forward for Gays and Lesbians looking for equal rights when it comes to the issue of employment. On the other side there are activist stating that this removal of sexual identity from the bill would leave Transgender people behind and beak-up the LGBT family.

I, Justin B Smith, who is a Gay Black Man, have mixed feelings about this bill. On one hand I see how it could be detrimental to the LGBT community. On the other hand I see where it might be easier to pass a bill if the words sexual identity were taken off of ENDA, but I don’t condone it either. This bill could further separate Transgender people from the LGBT community.

Hoping that the bill would be followed by a Transgender employment bill later may be giving false hope to the Transgender community. We (the LGBT community) have no idea if the House will introduce a separate but equal ENDA bill for Transgender people. Separate but Equal…..hmmmmmmm that sounds familiar. Suppressing a group of people is not equality at all. This is a LGBT civil rights issue that needs to be address and not ignored by all LGBT organizations. Together we should unite and stand as one.