Gay Today: World

Log Cabin's Rich Tafel
Confounds ENDA Supporters

By Stephanie Donald

Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director Richard Tafel
Photo: By Rex Wockner

Long time supporters of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) in the U.S. Congress were confounded by a declaration from Log Cabin Republican's (LCR) Executive Director Rich Tafel in which he indicates that the current bipartisan support of the ENDA bill now before the U.S. Congress is a wasted effort.

An LCR commentary released two weeks ago contained harsh criticisms of ENDA, referencing it as unnecessary. It noted that many employers in the United States already have anti-discrimination policies in place.

"I can tell you anecdotally that as I travel all over the country, I almost never hear from anyone who was fired because they were gay," Tafel wrote. "In fact, I hear almost every other issue being passionately argued but not this one."

Citing a public opinion poll showing that 85 percent of Americans believe it is wrong to fire someone because that person is gay, Tafel added, "So why all this energy on a bill that probably won't really change the lives of gay Americans?"

Anonymous Republican moderates note that Tafel's commentary undercuts years of hard work in pursuing the passage of ENDA and seems to be attacking the very community that ENDA will protect.

Scott Miller, a GLBT newsfeed specialist, made note of Tafel's contradictory stance:

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"Well, no kidding. Tafel never struck me as one who was especially in touch with the needs of the average gay person. In Tafel's circle, comprised of the Gay Old Party power elite, they're apparently way too busy climbing the ladder of personal gain while using the backs of the GLBT citizenry as rungs."

Miller further noted:

"The only people who are vociferously against ENDA are right-wing groups like the AFA and the FRC. Their shrill complaint is that discrimination against gays is a religious right (pun intended). If Tafel's words end up sinking ENDA, he will destroy any credibility that the LCR has been building up in the past 2 years. And that would be too bad."