SEIU's Henry: Extend protections to all facets of life, including the workplace

Washington, DC--Today, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Executive Vice President Mary Kay Henry praised President Obama for his signing into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and called for greater protections for LGBT workers.

"There's a motto we have in the labor movement: 'An Injury to One is An Injury to All,'" said Henry. "For Congress to pass, and the President to sign into law, the first explicit protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in the nation's history, is an incredibly important first step in ending the decades of violence and discrimination suffered by the LGBT community.

"Unfortunately, there's much more work to be done. While today we mark this victory, we must focus on the next step: ending discrimination against the LGBT population on all fronts, including discrimination in the workplace. That's why SEIU supports the passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

"ENDA will fill a gaping hole in our nation's basic protections of equal opportunity and demonstrate that we are a nation of basic fairness. Forty years ago, the Stonewall rebellion was a signal that LGBT people would fight back in the face of harassment and discrimination. This overdue reform will demonstrate that we can overcome the injustice of the past and increase prosperity for working families by welcoming and drawing on the talents of a diverse workforce.

"Only then will we be able to prevent injury to one and to all."