Gloria La Riva is the Peace and Freedom Candidate running for Congress in the 8th District (S.F.) against Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi. Unlike Pelosi, La Riva is a lifelong labor, community, and socialist activist who has consistently fought for the rights of the working people and against all forms of racism, sexism and bigotry.
Also unlike Pelosi, La Riva calls for immediate passage of an inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act or ENDA. Pelosi claims that ENDA is a “personal priority,” and recently said, “I love ENDA.” But she continues to block the bill moving forward. Pelosi is the leader of the Democratic Party in Congress, which has a wide majority, so why the hold-up?
In March, LGBT activists were arrested staging simultaneous sit-ins in Pelosi’s Washington and San Francisco offices demanding action on the bill. In July, eight LGBT organizations wrote a letter to Pelosi calling for ENDA to be brought to the House for a vote. Still, no action by Pelosi.
“Pelosi is playing politics with the basic rights of millions of working people,” stated La Riva.
Lesbian, gay, and bisexual employees can be fired from their jobs in 29 states, and transgender or gender-nonconforming employees can be fired in 38 states.
“She is stalling this vote until at least after the November elections” La Riva continued. “But due to the Democrats dismal failure over the past two year to meet the needs of the people, the passage of ENDA may be even less likely in the next Congress.”
The struggle to demand equal civil rights for the LGBT community has been a militant and vibrant one that too often is put on the back-burner by the opportunist Democrats and attacked viciously by bigoted Republicans.
The right to be employed irrespective of sexual orientation or gender identity is a right that should be extended to all workers. All workers, regardless of nationality, race, gender, sexual orientation, immigration status or religion, should have a right to a job that pays a real living wage and is union-protected.
The Gloria La Riva for Congress campaign stands for the immediate passage of ENDA, demands federally recognized same-sex marriage rights, as well as adoption rights and an end to the discriminatory ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy. More money must go to HIV/AIDS funding instead of being cut during this economic depression.
No to anti-LGBT bigotry! Fight for equality!
