orbitaldiamonds | Good thing MY Representative is Suzanne Kosmas.

I'm Floridian, but living in Alaska, and in my petition-signing and letter-writing, I've written to elected officials in both states. I just got this letter from Rep. Don Young of Alaska:

Dear Mrs. [Mac],

Thank you for contacting me regarding H.R. 3017, the Employment non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.

If enacted, H.R. 3017 would prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity by public and private employers in hiring and discharging of employees and in employment conditions and terms. The bill also prohibits retaliatory conduct and would be enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Additionally, preferential treatment or quotas on the basis of sexual orientation would be prohibited under this legislation. The legislation also provides exemptions for religious organizations, religious schools, and does not apply to the armed services.

Discrimination, on any basis, should not be tolerated. However, I have concerns regarding the underlying premise of this legislation and recognize the difficulties inherent in its application. Suits claiming violation of the Civil Rights Act based on sexual orientation would be difficult to establish. Plaintiffs would have to not only prove that there was prior knowledge of sexual preference by the defendant but also that the change in employment was motivated by sexual orientation discrimination.

H.R. 3017 has been referred to four different committees in the House of Representatives - Education and Labor; House Administration; Oversight and Government Reform; and Judiciary. I voted against this bill when it was voted on during the 110th Congress, and I will be sure to keep your comments in mind should this legislation come before the House of Representatives again for a vote.

Once again, thank you for expressing your views on this issue. If you haven't already, I would encourage you to sign up for my e-newsletter at http://donyoung.house.gov/Forms/EmailSignup/ and my YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=RepDonYoung. Doing so will allow me to provide you with updates on this and other important issues. If I can be of any assistance in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

DON YOUNG

Congressman for All Alaska

I certainly hope that Ethan Berkowitz would have foted FOR ENDA. I supported him last year, even though I couldn't vote for him.