GetEQUAL Activists To Be Arraigned Over ENDA Sit-In At Nancy Pelosi's Office

Four activists from GetEQUAL will be arraigned today for their March 18th ENDA protest at Nancy Pelosi's office. Via press release:

Activists will gather outside the District of Columbia Superior Courthouse today in solidarity with four women arrested during a sit-in at Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Washington office two weeks ago. On March 18, led by co-founders Robin McGehee and Kip Williams, GetEQUAL staged simultaneous sit-ins at Speaker Pelosi's Washington and San Francisco offices to voice its demand that Pelosi bring a trans-inclusive Employee Non-Discrimination Act through markup and to a floor vote by the end of the month. Tired of false promises to pass ENDA, which would provide basic employment protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans, the four women refused to leave the office without a guarantee that the bill would be brought to a vote. They were ultimately arrested for unlawful entry and face arraignment today on misdemeanor charges.

ENDA legislation has been stuck in the House Committee on Education and Labor since last year and another promise that it would be brought to the House floor for a vote in March did not happen. "As Congress returns from recess they have an opportunity to pass what the LGBT community has been fighting for 40 years: basic workplace protections. Every American has the right to a secure working environment," said Jay Carmona, one of the four arrested. "A person¹s gender identity or sexual orientation does not affect their ability to do the same work others do. They should be protected from discrimination and there jobs should be secure."

I'll update this post later today after the arraignment.