Striking a blow for equality and decency

It took nearly thirty-five years but the House has finally passed a bill banning workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 — The House on Wednesday approved a bill granting broad protections against discrimination in the workplace for gay men, lesbians and bisexuals, a measure that supporters praised as the most important civil rights legislation since the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 but that opponents said would result in unnecessary lawsuits.

To be sure, this is an imperfect bill but as Pelosi correctly points out, securing civil rights often happens through measured steps. In that light, this is a very big deal. As the old saw says, you eat the elephant one bite at a time.