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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. 


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