Gay Equality Bill About to Be Passed By the Senate, Killed By House

For the first time since 1996, the US Senate is poised to actually vote on the Employment Nondiscrimination Act, a piece of legislation that aims to make it illegal for employers to discriminate against employees based on their sexuality or gender identification. It’s all very inspiring, and a testament to how far we’ve come as a society. Too bad it’s never going to get past the whackadoodles in the House.

The bill’s being debated instead of filibustered thanks to the support of several Republicans, including Illinois Republican Mark Kirk, who suffered a stroke 2 years ago and hasn’t spoken during a floor debate since. He said during his time on the floor today that he’s breaking his silence on this issue because he feels “so passionately” about gay rights.

But before you think, hooray for humanity! let me remind you that Speaker Boehner and his brigade of nincompoops are going to continue sticking firmly to their defective guns, and ENDA likely won’t even get voted on by the House this year. That’s according to Benjy Sarlin at MSNBC, who quotes Boehner’s spokesperson as saying that existing nondiscrimination laws are sufficient in protecting The Gays and that Congress doesn’t have time to waste on such frivolity. They’ve got post offices to name, damn it! They’ve got abortion restrictions to pass!

This probably won’t bode well for Republicans, who have already run afoul with acceptance-mongering young voters, especially after the 2012 elections. But, you know, at least the dinosaurs are going down swinging their comically short T-Rex arms.