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| President Barack Obama |
Companies that want to do business with the federal government will no longer be able to discriminate against homosexuals and keep their federal contracts, under a new policy announced by the White House.
President Barack Obama said he intends to sign an executive order barring federal contractors from discriminating against people based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Obama had wanted Congress to take action on the issue by adopting a new law banning anti-gay discrimination everywhere in the workforce. But with Republicans opposed to the idea, the president opted to unilaterally expand federal legal protections for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender (LGBT) individuals.
Advocates applauded the decision, which follows other pro-gay moves by the administration, like ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in the U.S. military.
“By issuing an executive order prohibiting federal contractors from discriminating against LGBT people, the president will not only create fairer workplaces across the country, he will demonstrate to Congress that adopting federal employment protections for LGBT people is good policy and good for business,” Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign advocacy group and a former Obama donor, told the media.
Progressive groups like Think Progress said the order will impact more than one million LGBT workers in the U.S., “making it the single largest expansion of LGBT workplace protections in our country’s history.”
About 20% of the U.S. workforce does business with the U.S. government, which means that about 11 million workers—whose rights are not currently protected under state laws—will now be provided with employment protections, according to gay rights advocacy groups.
Conservative organizations blasted the announcement, declaring the change “will give activists a license to challenge their employers whenever they feel aggrieved, exposing those employers to threats of costly legal proceedings and the potential of jeopardizing future contracts,” according to Peter Spring, a senior fellow for policy studies at the Family Research Council, who spoke with The Washington Post.
Obama has not said when he will officially sign the decree, but it could come as soon as this month. He had first proposed the executive order during his 2008 presidential run but, until now, rejected calls to keep his campaign promise.
Federal law currently does not prevent discrimination against gay and transgender individuals. Residents in 29 states also have no protection for such discriminatory behavior. However, a total of 21 states have adopted anti-gay discrimination laws.
Most of the Fortune 100 companies have policies protecting their employees from discrimination based on gender identity and/or sexual orientation, according to the Los Angeles Times. However, numerous other corporations, such as ExxonMobil and Abbott Laboratories, do not.
Leviticus 20:
13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
Genesis 19:
1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
3 And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:
5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.
6 And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,
7 And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.
8 Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.
9 And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.
10 But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.
11 And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
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