Democrats reintroduce Equality Act focused on LGBT individuals
Democratic lawmakers have reintroduced the Equality Act,aiming to establish federal protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.Initially presented in 1974 and revised in 2015, the bill seeks to amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include these categories as protected classes. The reintroduction comes in response to recent actions, including an executive order by former President Trump that defined sex strictly in biological terms, excluding gender identity. Rep.Mark Takano, the bill’s chief sponsor, highlighted the urgent need for legal protection for LGBTQI+ individuals, emphasizing that they deserve the same rights as all Americans. Additionally, Sen. Tammy Baldwin stated that the Equality Act is essential to ensure equal treatment under the law, as many states lack protections against discrimination for sexual orientation and gender identity. Despite Republican control of Congress, Democrats are hopeful of garnering support from centrist GOP lawmakers.
Democrats reintroduce bill to make sexual preference and gender identity protected classes
Democratic lawmakers reintroduced the Equality Act on Tuesday, their newest effort to create federal protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
The bill, which was first introduced in 1974 and expanded in 2015, would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to make sexual orientation and gender identity protected classes as well.
The bill’s reintroduction comes just months after President Donald Trump signed an executive order stating that there are only two biological sexes. “‘Sex’ is not a synonym for and does not include the concept of ‘gender identity,’” the president’s order stated.
Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA), the bill’s main sponsor in the House, said at a press conference on Tuesday that “the fear in our community is deep, and it is palpable.”
“We demand the same right as any other American to live freely in this country without being forced to justify our existence or prove our worth,” Takano, who is gay, added. “Now more than ever, LGBTQI+ Americans need our fundamental civil rights codified into law.”
In February, Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) signed a bill that removed state legal protections based upon a person’s “gender identity” or “gender expression,” making Iowa the first state in the nation to remove protections for transgender people explicitly.
“The bill that we’re here to talk about could not be more straightforward or common sense,” Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), the first openly gay person elected to the Senate, said Tuesday. “The Equality Act simply puts into law what we all believe: that every American is created equal and should be treated equally under the law. This is a tenet of our nation’s founding.”
There are at least 28 states without legal protections against discrimination based on a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, according to Freedom for All Americans.
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“Will you be protected from being discriminated against by a bad landlord when you try to rent a house?” Baldwin said on Tuesday. “Depends on where you live. Will you be protected from being discriminated against when you are trying to get a mortgage or a new credit card? Again, it depends upon where you live.”
While Republicans control both the House and Senate, Democrats hope they can convince some centrist GOP lawmakers to support them in passing the Equality Act.
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