Breaking: Senate passes Employment Non-Discrimination Act

Senator Reid next to sign reading: Workplace fairness for all families

Photo credit: NY Times

With a vote of 64-32, earlier today the Senate passed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which bans workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, making it the first time in history the institution has voted to include LGBT people in a non-discrimination law.

Though legislating equality has incredibly valid critiques, and it might be difficult to get this bill through the House (Speaker Boehner has openly opposed ENDA), this remains, as VP Biden would say, a big fucking deal.

1bfea3e7449eff65a94e2e55a8b7acda-bpfullVeronica is an immigrant queer writer, domestic artist, and music video enthusiast.

New York, NY

Verónica Bayetti Flores has spent the last years of her life living and breathing reproductive justice. She has led national policy and movement building work on the intersections of immigrants' rights, health care access, young parenthood, and LGBTQ liberation, and has worked to increase access to contraception and abortion, fought for paid sick leave, and demanded access to safe public space for queer youth of color. In 2008 Verónica obtained her Master’s degree in the Sexuality and Health program at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. She loves cooking, making art, listening to music, and thinking about the ways art forms traditionally seen as feminine are valued and devalued. In addition to writing for Feministing, she is currently spending most of her time doing policy work to reduce the harms of LGBTQ youth of color's interactions with the police and making sure abortion care is accessible to all regardless of their income.

Verónica is a queer immigrant writer, activist, and rabble-rouser.

Read more about Verónica

Join the Conversation