LGBT POV

With much pre-election 2010 grumbling by progressives about the slow pace of the progressive agenda by Democrats – taking the public option out of healthcare reform, for instance, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared at a town hall meeting at Netroots Nation Saturday to take pre-submitted questions on tough issues.

Perhaps because of GetEqual already stopped traffic on the Las Vegas strip to protest ENDA’s delay and a number of GetEqual activists were sitting in front of the stage (though they were moved to the side at the last minute), the first question from moderator Cheryl Contee to Pelosi (photo by Grant McClure) was about the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).

Here’s an excerpt from Michael Jone’s take at Gay Rights at Change.org:

“Pelosi, while recognizing that activists should be impatience, didn’t really do much during her answer to give activists comfort. She struck the right tones — “We’re against discrimination against anybody … this bill will be inclusive,” and “Let’s get the drumbeat going,” among other lines — but she didn’t give a specific answer for why the bill hasn’t received a vote in Congress yet. Moreover, she said one thing that I think is fundamentally wrong.

“Some of the opposition (to ENDA) comes from those on the business community,” Rep. Pelosi told the crowd. But if that’s the case, then why do so many of the leading Fortune 500 companies have anti-discrimination policies that are inclusive of both sexual orientation and gender identity?”

Jones concludes that Pelosi’s heart may be in the right place, but “for activists who want a vote on what is probably the most important piece of LGBT legislation in the hopper, it just seems like Pelosi’s heart is not quite enough.”

Jeremy Hooper from Good As You has posted video he shot. And here’s the transcript of Pelosi’s comments:

Moderator Cheryl Contee: A recent poll indicates that a majority of Americans support the passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act – ENDA. ENDA now has 198 co-sponsors. While you and President Obama have both been strong advocates for ENDA’s passing, the bill is stuck in committee and promises of passage haven’t been kept. @Dr.TJulianWeiss on Twitter,  MCC on JackandJillpolitics and Perfect Stormer on Daily Kos all want to know will we see passage of ENDA anytime soon?

Speaker Nancy Pelosi: (she does some thank yous and recognitions first). ENDA has been something that has been part of my being (?) since I went to the Congress. And then some years later, around 16 years ago, we finally had legislation that we could rally around. This is an absolute priority, not only for me personally, but for our House Democratic Caucus.

Under the leadership of George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the Education and Labor Committee which has primary jurisdiction, we have been working very hard to try to iron out some of the – to have some clarity of language that could dispel some opposition. This is something that has to be done. It’s so long overdue. It’s almost embarrassing to have to have to pass a bill to end discrimination in the workplace.

I am happy, though, that it fits comfortably on the path we set ourselves on. We said we were going to do hate crimes – fully inclusive hate crimes – and we did pass that legislation as Rachel said [during a video], the Matthew Shepard legislation. We’re very proud of that – that it was fully inclusive.

And then next on my agenda was ENDA but there was support to take up Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and we’re very proud that we passed that in the House. I might say that I would have hoped that there would have been a moratorium on any discharges from the military (applause) until it was resolved (? applause makes it hard to hear end).

But I do think that my the time 2010 comes to an end, so does Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. And at the same time, we are holding….I need your help to get the biggest possible vote on ENDA.

All of these issues took time. You know when we started hate crimes – you know that was when I first came to Congress 23 years ago. It wasn’t an issue of “fully inclusive.” Gay, lesbians, bisexuals – but then transgender became an issue and the challenge became greater. Same thing with ENDA.

But we’re against discrimination – against anybody and everybody and our bill will be fully inclusive (applause).

I can’t give you a time. But I can tell you that it is a priority and it had been our hope to do it this year. We have to finish Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and hopefully we can do both this year.

Moderator: Who’s blocking the passage of ENDA and whom should the netroots target?

Pelosi: Well, I think I would target in a positive way (audience rumbles) – this is America – show your appreciation for those who are with you, with us – encourage them to be not only a vote but a leader on the issue – persuader, the peer pressure that is there. Because I don’t think – I think that some of the opposition comes from those perhaps in the work, um – in the business community who may not understand the – how this can be practically accomplished. We think it can. I think that should be the least of it, when we’re talking about ending discrimination in our country.

So my advice would be just – let’s get the drum beat going, get everybody as enthused as they have been. We won by 40 votes on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Forty votes! That is a very big – we hardly won anything by four votes, much less 40 votes (laughter) in the (? can’t make it out).

(Shout from GetEqual’s Robin McGehee: “Move on ENDA now!”)

Moderator: Hey – I’m going to release the crackin (?), alright, so please don’t’ shout out questions from the audience. (UPDATE:  a friend tells me it’s “kraken” — a sea creature from Greek mythology, used by the Gods to wreak havoc on the disobedient. My apologies. I truly had NO idea what she was talking about so I spelled the word out phonetically.)

Pelosi: No, but it is – your impatience is justified. Let’s make it productive so that we can all work together and strengthen each other as – to get this passed as soon as possible. Very important. (Applause)

Moderator: Thank you.

Moderator: Thank you, Speaker.

Pelosi: I love ENDA. I feel a little pride of being there at the start of all that. Barney Frank, Tammy Baldwin and now Jared Polis, who is going to be here, I understand this weekend – have been an important part of all this.