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The House will soon consider the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), legislation that would extend the fair employment practices under federal law to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals. The bill is based on the principle that workers should be judged exclusively on their merits as an employee when being hired or fired. ENDA includes the same procedures and remedies as other federal civil rights laws, like Title VII or the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Although some states and many businesses have passed laws to protect such workers, in 33 states, it is still legal to fire or refuse to hire someone because of their sexual orientation. And in 42 states, people can be fired or denied employment due to their gender identity. Passing ENDA would be an essential means of extending important federal civil rights protections to all Americans.