Non-discrimination bill buoys outlook of LGBTQ students

Paste BN file photo

A Senate vote last week gave those that identify as LGBTQ a reason to celebrate.

The Employee Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) calls for federal workplace protection — banning employers from hiring and firing members of the LGBTQ community based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.

Although the bill now waits to be debated in the House -- which may never happen due to speaker John Boehner’s opposition to the legislation -- those involved in the fight for gay rights still see this as a victory.

“The passage of the bill for the first time with a strong bipartisan vote is a huge step forward for us and really I think demonstrates how mainstream and broadly supported issues of LGBTQ equality are,” legal director for the Human Rights Campaign Brian Moulton said.

“We have challenges ahead but we are very pleased with the outcome.”

Corey Rainboth, a sophomore at Nazareth College of Rochester, said this bill specifically affects him and other members of the college LGBTQ community because they will be searching for jobs in the near future.

“I get out of college in a couple years and if anyone finds out I’m gay, I could get fired or not qualify for an apartment,” Rainboth said. “It’s a thing I worry about everywhere I go.”

As a member of the Nazareth College organization Lambda -- which provides information and support for the members of the LGBTQ community -- Rainboth said he has been discussing the passage of the bill with other members of the group.

“It’s a great thing, now we could have a wall put up that would protect us,” he said.

President of Freedom2Work Gico Almeida said he thinks that if this bill were passed it would specifically help students who participate and hold positions in LGBTQ groups.

“It would give college students and graduates the assurance that employers can’t negatively take into account that they might have listed on their resume leadership experience with an LGBTQ organization,” Almeida said.

Even if the bill does not reach the House floor, Moulton said he hopes that college students still take the Senate’s passage as a positive step and reason to become more involved in the gay rights movement.

“I hope the passage of ENDA through the senate ... will help LGBTQ college students by seeing one more barrier that they might encounter in the workplace start to fall,” he said. “Entering a workplace where there are still no protections I’m sure impacts what they’re thinking about and this shouldn’t have to be a factor in making those decision in life and unfortunately it still is and that’s why this bill is so important.”

Rainboth said that he takes this and every other political movement for gay rights one step at a time.

“I wouldn’t worry about the future and where we’re going as a community,” he said. “My moral is to just stay positive and don’t be negative back to the people who are negative to you. If you’re confident in yourself if helps those people understand who you are.”

Katy Cardin is a junior at University of Vermont.

This story originally appeared on the Paste BN College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.