Gay Job Protection Gets Support From Gop

Gay activists who are pushing for an end to job discrimination against homosexuals heard a rallying cry Thursday from an unexpected source - congressional Republicans.

“We ought to keep plugging away on it,” Rep. Constance Morella, R-Md., told a meeting of gay Republicans on Capitol Hill. “To not pass it is not only bad ethically and morally; it is bad business, too.”

The proposed Employment Non-Discrimination Act, known as ENDA, failed in the Senate last year by one vote. The bill would extend basic civil rights protections in the area of employment to cover sexual orientation.

The Log Cabin Republicans, made up of gay Republicans, and other gay activists are hoping for a different outcome this time around. The Log Cabin group is holding its annual convention in town this weekend.

In the Senate, Jim Jeffords, R-Vt., the lead sponsor, chairs the Labor Committee, which has initial jurisdiction over the bill. He has said he is committed to getting it passed.

Sen. Alfonse D’Amato, R-N.Y., also is rallying support for the measure.

But prospects in the House appear less promising.

The House held no hearings last year on the bill, which must first clear the Judiciary Committee. The panel is run by Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Ill., and he has gone on record as opposing the bill.