Senate Passes Gay Rights Bill

It was a historic afternoon for gay rights, as the U.S. Senate voted to ban workplace discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation on Thursday. The 64-32 vote in favor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act—better known as ENDA—was the first approval of pro-gay-rights legislation since Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was repealed in 2010. While Senate Republicans like John McCain argued that passing ENDA was “the right thing to do,” the legislation still faces significant opposition in the largely socially conservative House of Representatives.