“[We are] proud to express our strong support of federal workplace non-discrimination legislation that would extend basic job protections to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans,” the company said in a letter to members of Congress.

“Our endorsement of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is consistent with our longstanding Statement of Equal Opportunity … The principles fostered by ENDA are consistent with our corporate principles in treating all employees with fairness and respect, said the letter, signed by Denise Lynn, American’s Vice President of Diversity & Leadership Strategies; Michael Wascom, American’s Managing Director of International & Government Affairs; and Betty Young, American’s National Sales & Marketing Manager for the LGBT Community.

ENDA, after it was stripped of protections for transgender people, passed the House last year. It has yet to be dealt with by the Senate.

If passed in its present form, ENDA would bar job discrimination against gays and lesbians.

Dozens of LGBT groups have been lobbying Washington to reinstate trans protections in the bill. American’s letter, released Monday, supports that effort.

American is the nation’s largest air carrier. It was the first major airline to implement same-sex domestic partner benefits, and the first to implement both sexual orientation and gender identity in its workplace non-discrimination policies. It also was the first airline to have a recognized LGBT employee resource group – GLEAM.

“On behalf of our more than 80,000 employees, we appreciate your consideration and encourage Congress to enact this important legislation,” the letter said.

Statistics released last month by Equality Forum, an LGBT civil rights organization, show that 471 of Fortune 500 companies written workplace protections on the basis of sexual orientation.

Exxon Mobil is the largest of the Fortune 500 that does not specifically provide sexual orientation protection and resisted shareholder calls to amend the policy in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

According to Gallup’s May 2008 Values and Beliefs Poll, 89 percent of U.S. citizens believe gays and lesbians should have equal rights in job opportunities.