House Votes To Approve Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA)

November 8, 2007 – By a vote of 235-184, the House of Representatives voted on November 7 to pass the pro-homosexual/drag queen bill known as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA, H.R. 3685). ENDA was essentially passed by a party line vote. However, twenty-five Democrats voted against ENDA; 35 Republicans voted for it. (The names of these individuals are listed at the end of this article.)

When the vote was taken, the Democrats cheered loudly. “It was revealing to where this is headed. This is a spiritual war between the First Amendment rights of Christians and the homosexual agenda that is determined to eliminate the most significant opposition to their agenda--which is Christianity,” said TVC Chairman Louis P. Sheldon.

It is possible that ENDA will now be quickly sent to the Senate for a vote.

TVC’s lobbyists worked feverishly to defeat this legislation and were successful in convincing a handful of Representatives to vote against ENDA. TVC’s Chairman Rev. Louis P. Sheldon and Executive Director Andrea Lafferty were in the gallery watching the debate on November 7. “Many in Congress chose to give their allegiance to the homosexual community and not to people of faith and Constitution. But we’re not giving up,” said Lafferty. “The battle now shifts to the Senate. We will do everything in our power to defeat it there.

“The House of Representatives majority has proven they are more interested in protecting sexual expression than religious expression” said TVC Executive Director Andrea Lafferty. “Even though President Bush has threatened a veto of ENDA, the far-left and RINOs in the House wanted to show their left-wing extremist and homosexual/drag queen allies that they’re willing to ignore the will of the American people to appease these radical lobbyists for sexual confusion.

“We will remember this vote for violating religious liberties and making homosexuality and other sexual orientations into federally-protected classes. We will remind our supporters in 2008 about who voted against their religious freedom and in favor of sexually abnormal behaviors.”

All throughout the debate on ENDA, Democrats compared opposition to homosexuality as bigotry, prejudice, homophobia, and hate. Individuals with sincerely-held religious beliefs about the sinful behavior of homosexuality were dismissed as out of step with modern times.

“It was clear from the beginning of the debate that the pro-homosexual legislators were implementing the strategy of vilification outlined in the essay ‘The Overhauling of Straight America,’ said Lafferty. “This homosexual activist strategy called for the smearing of anyone who opposed homosexual conduct as bigoted and ignorant, while portraying homosexuals as harmless victims of mindless hate.”

TVC has published numerous resources on ENDA and the impact it will have on American businesses, non-profits, churches and educational institutions:

Homosexuality 101

Analysis Of ENDA, H.R. 2015 (now renamed H.R. 3686)

http://www.traditionalvalues.org/pdf_files/SexualOrientationsDSMRev.pdf

An Urgent Message From TVC Chairman Rev. Louis P. Sheldon

House Committee On Education And Labor Hearing On H.R. 3685, The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA)

Speaker Pelosi Delays ENDA Vote Yet Again!

http://www.traditionalvalues.org/pdf_files/TVCSpecialRptTransgenders1234.PDF

CURRENT ENDA LEGISLATION CONTINUES UNCERTAINTY AS TO SCOPE OF RELIGION EXEMPTION

A Gender Identity Disorder Goes Mainstream

Will Cross-Dressing Activists Come To Your School?

Democrats who voted against ENDA:

Barrow GA (12th)
Berry AR (1st)
Clarke NY (11th)
Cramer AL (5th)
Davis AL (7th)
Davis, Lincoln TN (4th)
Edwards TX (17th)
Gordon TN (6th)
Holt NJ (12th)
Lampson TX (22nd)
Lipinski IL (3rd)
Marshall GA(8th)
McIntyre NC(7th)
Melancon LA (3rd)
Michaud ME (2nd)
Nadler NY (8th)
Rahall WV(3rd)
Ross AR(8TH)
Shuler NC(11TH)
Skelton MO(4TH)
Tanner TN(8TH)
Taylor MS(4TH)
Towns NY(10TH)
Velazquez NY(12TH)
Weiner OH(3RD)

It should be noted that several of these individuals voted against ENDA because it did not contain “gender identity,” which would have made cross-dressers, transvestites, she-males, and transsexuals federally-protected minorities under our civil rights laws.

Republicans who voted for ENDA:

Biggert IL(3RD)
Bono CA(45TH)
Campbell CA (48TH)
Castle DE (AT LARGE)
Davis, Tom VA (11TH)
Dent PA(15TH)
Diaz-Balart, L FL(21ST)
Diaz-Balart, M FL(25TH)
Dreier CA(2ND)
English (PA) PA(2ND)
Flake AZ(6TH)
Fossella NY(13TH)
Frelinghuysen NJ(11TH)
Gerlach PA(6TH)
Gilchrest MD (1ST)
Hobson OH(7TH)
Kirk IL(10TH)
Knollenberg MI(9TH)
Kuhl (NY) NY(29TH)
LoBiondo NJ(2ND)
McCotter MI(11TH)
McCrery LA(4TH)
McHugh NY(23RD)
Miller MI (10TH)
Platts PA(19TH)
Porter NV(3RD)
Pryce OH(15TH)
Ramstad MN(3RD)
Reichert WA(8TH)
Ros-Lehtinen FL(18TH)
Ryan WI(1ST)
Saxton NJ(3RD)
Shays CT(4TH)
Tiberi OH (12TH)
Walden OR(2ND)

TAKE ACTION: If your U.S. Representative voted against ENDA, write a letter to thank them for doing so; if they voted for ENDA, ask them how they can justify protecting sexual expression over religious expression and the First Amendment.

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