US senate pushes major anti-bias gay rights bill past hurdle

US Senate pushed a major anti-bias gay rights bill past a hurdle on Monday, signaling a dramatic shift in political attitudes on the issue. By the vote of 61-30, the senate passed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act that would prohibit workplace discrimination against gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. It has been nearly two decades since U.S. Senate voted on similar bill, and the vote on Monday showed as a vivid sign of Americans’ greater acceptance of homosexuality. Fourteen states have already legalized homosexual marriage, and a wide range of Americans believe gay couples should enjoy the same right to wed. “Today we saw American democracy in action with the U.S. Senate finally following the will of a diverse and bipartisan collection of Americans calling for workplace fairness,” said Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, the largest gay rights group in the nation. “With a super majority of Senators, more than 100 major American companies, and more than two-thirds of Americans all standing proudly in support of ENDA, there is tremendous momentum behind this common-sense bill.”