The Center for American Progress reported recently on a Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research poll of the voting public in the U.S. that found strong support for anti-discrimination measures to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in the workplace.
Certain states, like California, have laws that protect GLBT workers, but there is no federal law that specifically protects this employee group. The Center for American Progress found that 9 out of 10 Americans believe that there is already a federal law specifically protecting GLBT people in the workplace, but this is not the case.
The Center for American Progress found that 73 percent of people who plan to vote in 2012 are in support of laws that would prohibit discrimination against gay and transgender employees. A proposed federal law, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), is currently being considered in both the House and Senate and would offer the same or similar protections to gay, lesbian and transgender workers as those in place for other protected groups, such as older workers or women.
The Center for American Progress reports that large numbers of gay and transgender people report that they have experienced discrimination in the workplace. Ninety percent of people who are transgender say they have experienced discrimination in hiring and promotions, or they have been wrongfully terminated.
According to the Center for American Progress, the poll found that voters supported anti-discrimination measures across all political party affiliations. The poll found 81 percent of Democrats in favor of protecting gay and transgender people from discrimination in the workplace. The poll also found 74 percent of Independents in favor of such a law and 66 percent of Republicans in support of anti-discrimination measures.
Source:
Polls Show Huge Public Support for Gay and Transgender Workplace Protections (Center for American Progress)