LGBT Minimum Wage Sign-On Letter
As organizations representing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, we call on the United States Senate to support a fair increase in the minimum wage. We applaud the recent passage of The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 in the United States House of Representatives and we strongly support and urge the speedy passage of the accompanying bill in the Senate.
Our community is diverse, with workers coming from many different economic backgrounds. The undersigned organizations recognize that an increase to the minimum wage would provide real relief to millions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender workers who currently work for $5.15 an hour. The proposed bill would raise the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour.
In a 1998 report published jointly by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and The Institute For Gay and Lesbian Strategic Studies, Dr. M.V. Lee Badgett shattered the long-held myth of economic affluence among gay, lesbian, and bisexual Americans. Dr. Badgett states, “The reality is that lesbians and gay men earn no more than heterosexual people.”
The current minimum wage makes it difficult for workers to support their families and themselves. As working peoples’ wages have remained stagnant or declined over the last ten years, their health care, energy, and housing costs have increased substantially. For instance, it would take someone making the current minimum wage of $5.15 an hour 11.2 hours to earn enough money to pay for a tank of gas.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) workers and their families will benefit from an increase to the minimum wage. An increase to the minimum wage will allow working class LGBT workers to sustain and provide for themselves and their families.
Therefore, be it resolved that the following undersigned lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender organizations strongly urge the United States Senate to pass a minimum wage increase, and we urge President Bush to sign any such bill into law.
Signed,
Equality Federation
Family Pride Coalition
Freedom To Marry
Hudson Pride Connections
The Mautner Project
The National Association For Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Centers
The National Center For Transgender Equality
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Out And Equal Workplace Advocates
Pride At Work, AFL-CIO
Queers For Economic Justice
