The Reconciling Ministries Network, a grass roots organization within the United Methodist Church that advocates inclusion of all peoples regardless of race, sexual orientation, or gender identity today released their Voting Guide for this election year.  The Voting Guide states the organization’s position on social justice issue and lists the candidates’ positions on each of those issues.

On the subject of Employment Non-Discrimination, the RMN Voters Guide explicitly states their support for Employment Non-Discrimination that includes Gender Identity. This Voters Guide is being emailed to their entire national mailing list today. Those wanting to be subscribers to the RMN mailing list can sign-up without fee on the RMN website

· Voter Guide: Employment Non-Discrimination

   We seek, in short, full civil equality, defined as: the right to live and work free from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, to be evaluated on merit, to be free of unfair discrimination by our government (Adapted, Vaid 376).

The National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce has a States Non-Discriminations Laws in the U.S. map that clearly demonstrates the urgency of comprehensive federal non-discrimination laws for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Only 13 states and the District of Columbia ban employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. An additional 7 states have incomplete laws that only protect on the basis of sexual orientation. The civil rights community has tried to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) since 1994