Kennedy bill to ignite social debate

Ever the progressive darling, Ted Kennedy continues to push his so-called Employment Non-Discrimination Act in the Senate. The AP reports:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Edward M. Kennedy is jumping into the middle of an uproar within the gay community whose causes he has long championed.

The Massachusetts Democrat is leading a push in the Senate for a federal ban on job bias against gays, lesbians and bisexuals — but not transsexuals, cross-dressers and others whose outward appearance doesn't match their gender at birth.

"We will strongly oppose it," said Roberta Sklar of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "Leaving transgender people out makes that a flawed movement."

The House in November approved the bill, written by openly gay Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., despite strong protests from many gay rights advocates that it didn't cover transgender workers.

"It was made very clear in the fall that most LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) organizations, the vast majority of LGBT organizations, do not want Congress to shove a civil rights bill down our throat that we don't want," said Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality.

When even your supporters don't support the bill you are indeed headed for defeat. President Bush will veto the bill if it manages to pass the 60 vote Senate threshold, but it is likely that it will not.

This bill would discriminate against religious business owners. It creates special protections for certain people. It would create precedent for future pieces of legislation that would enshrine in statute even more ridiculous requirements for employers. The fact that the LGBT community is not happy with it because it is not expansive enough is evidence aplenty that it is one step on the way to massive regulation of the rights of employers to run their businesses as they see fit.