After today’s House committee vote, I was bit a surprised to get the following alert from the HRC:

Now our community must focus our full attention to the upcoming floor vote on ENDA and building support for Rep. Tammy Baldwin’s amendment that would make this bill fully inclusive of the entire GLBT community. HRC continues our fight for a bill that protects our entire community. Now is the time to act. Call your representatives today and urge them to vote in favor of Rep. Baldwin’s amendment.
So get out there. Admittedly, the whole ENDA vote is purely symbolic, but ideally the vote will show (as Rep. Tammy Baldwin thought) there are enough votes for an inclusive ENDA. At worse, hopefully a strong showing will put us in a better position for 2009 when ENDA actually has a chance of passing Congress and not being vetoed. (Remember, California’s ENDA was put up for a vote numerous times before passing, and each time picked up a few more votes.)

While I’ve been on HRC’s case for being soft on support for an ENDA the includes protection for gender identity/gender expression, I’ll give them some praise for being quick to act on Baldwin’s amendment. Bottom line HRC made some promises it really couldn’t keep—this where being an insider can be detrimental—but politics means sometimes having to ally yourself with people you’re upset with.