House Passes ENDA

That is the Employee Non-Discrimination Act that prevents employers from firing people because of their sexual orientation.

In a perfect world, a law like this would be moot and just more unnecessary government intervention, but even my semi-libertarian heart can't overlook the fact that the LGBT community is treated like second class citizens in much of this country. Like I always say, if Americans are going to act like children, the government should treat them like children.

35 Republicans voted for the bill;
Judy Biggert (R-Illinois)
Mary Bono (R-California)
John Campbell (R-California)
Mike Castle (R-Delaware)
Tom Davis (R-Virginia)
Charlie Dent (R-Pennsylvania)
Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-Florida)
Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Florida)
David Drier (R-California)
Jeff Flake (R-Arizona)
Vito Fossella (R-New York)
Rod Frelinghuysen (R-New Jersey)
Jim Gerlach (R-Pennsylvania)
Wayne Gilchrest (R-Maryland)
Davd Hobson (R-Ohio)
Mark Kirk (R-Illinois)
Joe Knollenberg (R-Michigan)
Randy Kuhl (R-New York)
Frank LoBiondo (R-New Jersey)
Thaddeus McCotter (R-Michigan)
Jim McCrery (R-Louisiana)
John McHugh (R-New York)
Candice Miller (R-Michigan)
Todd Platts (R-Pennsylvania)
Jon Porter (R-Nevada)
Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio)
Jim Ramstad (R-Minnesota)
Dave Reichert (R-Washington)
Illeana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Florida)
Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin)
Jim Saxton (R-New Jersey)
Christopher Shays (R-Connecticut)
Pat Tiberi (R-Ohio)
Greg Walden (R-Oregon)

25 Democrats voted nay, 7 of them because it did not include the transgendered (All but two from New York City oddly enough);

Yvette Clarke (D-New York)
Rush Holt (D-New Jersey)
Mike Michaud (D-Maine)
Jerrold Nadler (D-New York)
Edolphus Towns (D-New York)
Nydia Velázquez (D-New York)
Anthony Weiner (D-New York)

Another 18 Democrats voted nay because they just plain opposed the bill (and are mostly from the south);

John Barrow (D-Georgia)
Marion Berry (D-Arkansas)
Bud Cramer (D-Alabama)
Artur Davis (D-Alabama)
Lincoln Davis (D-Tennessee)
Chet Edwards (D-Texas)
Nick Lampson (D-Texas)
Dan Lipinski (D-Illinois)
Jim Marshall (D-Georgia)
Mike McIntyre (D-North Carolina)
Charlie Melacon (D-Louisiana)
Nick Rahall (D-West Virginia)
Heath Shuler (D-North Carolina)
Ike Skelton (D-Missouri)
John Tanner (D-Tennessee)
Gene Taylor (D-Mississippi)

The President says he'll veto the bill and it's unlikely to see Senate passage before the end of the year, but it's a step.