| Tomorrow marks the 58th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act of 1963. Yesterday, the Senate failed to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, which “addresses wage discrimination on the basis of sex, which is defined to include pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics.” My takeaway from the WISER Dialogue with Alicia Netterville is that legislation to limit discrimination on the basis of sex does not address intragender pay inequality.
What is needed is a bill that addresses pay inequality at the intersection of Federal protected classes:
- Race.
- Color.
- Religion or creed.
- National origin or ancestry.
- Sex (including gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity).
- Age.
- Physical or mental disability.
- Veteran status.
- Genetic information.
- Citizenship.
I find it ironic that any legislator whose salary is determined by law, therefore protected, would vote against equal pay for their constituents. |
