Thread by @cmclymer

I have lived and worked in D.C. for about 11 years total, and in that time, I have met a LOT of federal contractors. I'm really worried about the future for many of them, and I want to tell you why. Because this is pretty scary. (thread)

Federal contractors are a huge proportion of the federal workforce. We're talking something around 40% of the folks who basically keep the trains running on time in our country. And because they're not officially federal workers, they're quite vulnerable.

Which is why in 2014, President Obama signed an executive order prohibiting companies that have a contract with the federal government from firing employees on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Because up to that point? Totally legal.

I repeat: until that point, companies getting money from the federal government could fire employees for being gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer. This is less surprising when you consider that in 29 states, LGBTQ people still lack non-discrimination protections.

So, Pres. Obama signs this order, and it's implemented in 2015, and a few months later, by happenstance, the Supreme Court legalizes same-sex marriage in Obergefell v. Hodges. HUGE. Really great. What a year, huh?

Fast forward to 2019, when life is decidedly less rosy all the way around, and the person in the Oval Office decides to propose a federal regulation that would extend so-called "religious freedom" protections to companies that have contracts with the federal government.

What does this mean? Donald Trump and Mike Pence have proposed a regulation that would allow companies getting our taxpayer dollars to fire LGBTQ people, women, and religious minorities simply because they don't like what we do, who we worship, who we love outside of work.

This is all true. Quick aside that Trump unsurprisingly broke a promise made early in his first term to keep Pres. Obama's executive order in place and protect LGBTQ federal contract workers.

Here's a scary fact: one in four Americans works for a federal contractor, and under this regulation, 25% of American workers would be at risk of being fired because they're LGBTQ, women, or religious minorities.

One. In. Four.

So, what the hell can we do?

Every proposed federal regulation has a comment period that allows the public to offer their view by submitting a written opinion. The government reads these. They catalog them. They have to. Then, they have to justify the regulation against them.

Submitting a comment takes 30 seconds. It's quick. And LGBTQ people, women, and religious minorities who are federal contract workers and their families need you to submit a comment.

Trump and Pence are going to keep pulling this because they think no one cares.

So, we have to show them it's unacceptable. The comment period closes at midnight tonight. Please take 30 seconds and submit a public comment. You are literally helping protect 1/4 of the American workforce from discrimination: action.hrc.org/E60hhkh