NOVEMBER 2013 Gay News Entertainement & More | Page 4

LOCAL POLITICS
In a surprising move, Rep. Eddie
Holguin Jr., District 6, will most
likely contend for the county judge
seat. County Judge, Veronica
Escobar has filed paper work to
run for re-election, also running
for the seat is Aliana Apodaca, an
El Paso business woman. Also filing paper for re-election are Congressman Beto O’Rourke, Rep.
Mary E. Gonzales. Former mayor
John Cook is running for Texas
land commissioner. The last day
for any candidate to declare their
intent for the primary is on Dec. 9.
The primary will be held March 4.
Running for Governor is State
Rep. Wendy Davis, who is seeking
to be the first woman to hold the
seat since Ann Richards. Will
Texas become a blue state?
HOLLYWOOD NEWS
Actor Alec Baldwin, confronting
photographers in NYC shouted out
“cock-sucking fag” to a photographer. Baldwin then issued a statement saying "I did not intend to
hurt or offend anyone with my
choice of words, but clearly I have
-- and for that I am deeply sorry.
Words are important. I understand
that, and will choose mine with
great care going forward." In a
statement by GLAAD, they told
him to “practice what you preach.”
"Mr. Baldwin can't lend his support for equality on paper, while
degrading gay people in practice,"
US Senate Passes Gay Rights
Bill, House Fate Uncertain
(AFP)
Washington — The US Senate
passed a historic gay rights bill
recently, one that would prohibit
companies from hiring and firing
based on an employee's sexual orientation or gender identity.
Supporters hail the Employment
Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA)
as among the most important
rights legislation in years, following in the track of landmark laws
that enshrined racial equality and
banned discrimination against people with disabilities.

"The Senate has clearly spoken to
end discrimination in the workplace," said Senator Jeff Merkely,
who spearheaded the effort to get
the legislation approved in the Democratic-led chamber.
Ten Republicans joined a united
Democratic side in backing the
measure, which now heads to the
House of Representatives where
Speaker John Boehner has signaled his opposition.
President Barack Obama commended the vote as "another historic step toward fulfilling the
founding ideals that define us as
Americans," and he pressed
Boehner to bring the bill to the
House floor.
"Just as no one in the United
States can lose their job simply
because of their race, gender, religion or a disability, no one
should ever lose their job simply
because of who they are or who
they love," Obama said in a statement.
Conservative opponents warn the
bill would erode religious freedom
and open the door to a cascade of
law suits.
But longstanding opposition
within the chamber eased dramatically over the past week, as the
legislation passed procedural hurdles and the senators unanimously
approved a Republican amendment that protects religious groups
exempted under the legislation.
"It has taken a long time to get to
this day," said Republican Senator
Susan Collins, who a decade ago
co-sponsored similar legislation
with senator Ted Kennedy, an
early proponent of workplace protections for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
"It is past time that we close this
gap with our LGBT employees,"
Collins added.
M ost Americans believe such discrimination is already prohibited,
but Merkely noted it remains legal
in 29 states -- home to 76 million
US workers -- to discriminate
against LGBT employees.
"That is simply wrong and this
legislation seeks to right this
wrong," said Senate Democrat
Tammy Baldwin, the chamber's
first openly gay senator.

"For folks like myself in the
LGBT community, the opportunity
to be judged in the workplace by
your skills and qualifications, your
loyalty, your work ethic, is an important pronouncement for this
nation."
A leading family and religious
freedom activist, Ralph Reed of
the Faith and Freedom Coalition,
blasted ENDA as "dumb politics"
that could backfire on Democrats.
"It is also a dagger aimed at the
heart of religious freedom for millions of Americans," Reed said in
an op-ed in USA Today, arguing
the bill's religious exemptions are
vague and "inadequate."
But ENDA received a boost when
Republican Senators Rob Portman
and Kelly Ayotte backed the measure and added their amendment
clarifying the protection of religious groups from government
retaliation.
Senator Pat Toomey sought to expand the number of groups that
could be exempted from the ban,
to include organizations affiliated

to a church or religious group, but
his amendment failed.
Current federal law bars discrimination based on race, ethnicity,
religious affiliation, gender and
age, but it does not protect against
discrimination based on sexual
orientation and gender identity.
ENDA would be the latest in a series of recent victories for gay
rights.
In June, the US Supreme Court
struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage
as between one man and one
woman.
Senate Democrat Amy Klobuchar
released a report citing studies in
which a majority of the top 50 Fortune 500 companies say that diversity policies increase profitability.
Ending discrimination would also
be economically advantageous.
The reports noted that overall costs
tied to various forms of workplace
discrimination amount to $64 billion annually.
Sources, AFP, FEVER magazine, CNN