Wisconsin wisely outlawed job discrimination based on sexual orientation a quarter century ago.
It's time for Congress to catch up with Wisconsin and take a similar, principled stance.
Congress should quickly approve the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, introduced last week by Wisconsin Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin and others.
Similar legislation has failed in Congress since 1974. But in 1996, the measure came within one vote of Senate approval.
The bill champions equality and makes good business sense. It makes it illegal for current and prospective employers to discriminate against a person based on sexual orientation.
It tells people that America respects individual liberty and privacy and believes in fairness. All U.S. citizens should be free to apply for a job or be in a job where employers judge them by their qualifications and abilities — not their private lives.
And it mirrors smart business strategy. Employers want to attract the best possible talent. That's why so many businesses have welcoming, non-discriminatory workplace policies.
Wisconsin employers such as Johnson Controls, Harley-Davidson and Shopko Stores are among the almost 90 percent of private sector firms that prohibit job discrimination based on sexual orientation, according to gay rights advocacy group Human Rights Coalition.
These company policies are forward-looking and fair. But the country still needs a federal law.
Without one, many employees cannot legally protest if their employers fire them or change their job duties because they are gay. Private and federal policies are not good enough.
Wisconsin was the first state to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation in 1982. Republican Gov. Lee Dreyfus joined a Democratic-controlled Legislature in approving the historic bill.
Wisconsin showed the way long ago. It's past time for the nation to follow.
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