A dozen Georgia organizations joined more than 200 LGBT and allied groups today to call on Congress to pass the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

The bill would ban job bias based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

In Georgia, it is not illegal for an employer to fire someone due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Vandy Beth Glenn, who will receive the Leon Allen & Winston Johnson Community Service Award at this year’s Atlanta Human Rights Campaign dinner, is suing the Georgia General Assembly after she was fired from her job as a legislative editor when she told her boss she intended to transition to female.

Glenn is represented by Lambda Legal in the federal lawsuit. Last year her attorneys filed a summary judgment motion, but the judge has not ruled on it. Lamdba Legal argues Glenn's firing “violated the Constitution's equal protection guarantee because it treated her differently due to her non-conformity with gender stereotypes. In addition, General Assembly officials disregarded Glenn's gender identity disorder and her needed treatment — also an equal protection violation.”

Also last year, Glenn traveled to Washington to testify before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education & Labor to urge for the passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. You can watch her testimony here.

According to the Human Rights Campaign, 21 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws prohibiting employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, and 12 states and D.C. also prohibit discrimination based on gender identity.

The following Georgia groups signed the letter calling on Congress to pass ENDA:

• African American Ministers in Action, Rev. Timothy McDonald, Chairman

• AID Gwinnett, Larry M. Lehman, Executive Director

• Atlanta Stonewall Democrats, Tim Cairl, President

• FTM International Atlanta, GA Chapter, BT, Leader

• Gentle Spirit Christian Church, Rev. Paul M. Turner, Senior Pastor

• Georgia Equality, Jeff Graham, Executive Director

• Georgia Rural Urban Summit, Larry Pellegrini, Executive Director

• Jewish Family & Career Services – The Rainbow Center in Atlanta, Gary Miller, CEO

• Juxtaposed Center for Transformation, Inc, Tracee McDaniel, Executive Director

• LaGender Inc, Dee Dee Chamblee, Executive Director

• MEGA Family Project, Kathy Kelly, Executive Director

• YouthPride Inc., Terence McPhaul, Executive Director