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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, June 22, 2012
CONTACT: Tico Almeida, Freedom to Work
[email protected]; 917-566-8871 (cell)
Brad Luna, Luna Media Group
[email protected], 202-812-8140 (cell)
**MEDIA AVAILABILITY**
Ahead of this Weekend's PRIDE Celebration in NYC, Tico Almeida Available to
Discuss Urgency of Passing Equal Workplace Protections for LGBT Americans
WASHINGTON, DC – As New York PRIDE kicks off this weekend, Tico Almeida, president of Freedom to
Work -- a national organization working to ban workplace discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender (LGBT) Americans – is available for comment. Almeida previously worked in the U.S.
House of Representatives as lead counsel on the Employment Non-Discrimination (ENDA) Act and wrote
several portions of that legislative proposal, which numerous Senators and LGBT advocates are pushing
towards a vote of the full Senate this summer.
Almeida is available today, June 22 through Monday, June 25 for in-studio interviews from New York
City to discuss Freedom to Work's campaign urging President Obama to sign an executive order
protecting millions of LGBT Americans from workplace discrimination at federal contractors, as well as
the campaign for passing ENDA legislation through Congress. Currently, lesbian and gay Americans can
still be fired because of their sexual orientation in 29 states, and the number increases to 35 for
transgender Americans.
Following a White House meeting last month during which the administration staffers told Almeida and
other LGBT leaders that the President would not sign an executive order for equal workplace
protections "at this time," Almeida appeared on “Viewpoint with Elliot Spitzer" to detail the weak
excuses for delay given by Valerie Jarrett and other senior White House staff. The segment is available
on the Current TV website, here.
Earlier this month, Freedom to Work addressed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to request that he
follow through on his promise to bring ENDA to a vote in the Senate this summer after an identical
request from nine Senators. The letter is available online here, and more information on the Senate
request is available on the Washington Blade website, here.
Almeida is also available to comment on the 71st
anniversary of President FDR’s executive order
protecting African Americans from discrimination among military contractors. FDR, like Obama,
originally said he would not sign the order, but because of the advocacy of labor activist, A Philip
Randolph, and Bayard Rustin he ended up signing this critical employment protection for African
American workers. An op-ed from Almeida is available on the Metro Weekly website, here.
** To book Almeida to discuss Freedom to Work’s LGBT workplace equality advocacy campaign,
please contact Tico Almeida at 917-566-8871 or Brad Luna at [email protected] or 202-
812-8140. **
###
Freedom to Work is a national organization committed to banning workplace harassment and career
discrimination against lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender Americans through public
education, policy analysis and legal work. For more information on Freedom to Work, please visit:
http://www.freedomtowork.org.
