Local police officer testifies on ENDA

Springfield Police Det. Michael Carney testified in favor of the Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA) before a congressional subcommittee Sept. 5.

Carney, an openly gay man, shared a personal story of anti-gay discrimination with the Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee of the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee. In his testimony, Carney shared how the toll of being closeted on the job - a choice he made after witnessing the abuse of an officer who was thought to be gay at the hands of his colleagues - contributed to his alcoholism and eventual resignation from the force. After seeking treatment - and founding the New England chapter of the support group Gay Officers Action League (GOAL) - Carney applied for reinstatement to the Springfield Police Department three years after his resignation and came out during his job interview. His application was denied. After being rejected a second time, Carney filed a complaint with the Mass. Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) alleging discrimination based on sexual orientation. After more than two years of investigation, the commission found probable cause for Carney's complaint. He rejoined the force in 1994.

"I'm a good cop. But I had to fight to get my job because I'm gay," Carney told the subcommittee, according to a written copy of his testimony. "And I never would have even been able to do that - had I not lived in Massachusetts or in one of the handful of other states that protect gay people from discrimination. In fact, if I were a federal employee living in Massachusetts I would not be protected at all."
ENDA, filed in the House in April, would outlaw job discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. In an interview with Bay Windows prior to his trip to Washington, Carney noted that people can be fired or not hired because they are gay or transgender in 30 states. "When the Constitution was written the Constitution was written, 'We the people.' It did not say, 'We the people from 30 states,'" said Carney.

Carney said he was honored by the invitation to share his story. "Sadly enough there are thousands more like it," he said. "I think it's extremely important for someone to be able to go and testify to tell Congress what it's like to be in those shoes of a [victim of discrimination] and let them know that there are many hundreds of thousands of qualified gays and lesbians who deserve their jobs."

Carney noted that he received permission from the police department to testify in uniform, in addition to being sent on "special duty," which means he'll also be paid by the department for his trip. "So a lot has changed because of [my] case," Carney observed. "And we might have it pretty good in Massachusetts but in many other states [LGBT people] are being discriminated against every day."