Throughout our country, LGBTQ+ people are continually discriminated against by politicians, employers, and even in their communities. In 2023, transgender people have faced an onslaught of discriminatory legislation and community hatred that threatens their ability to live their lives.
Beyond the headlines, LGBTQ+ people continue to face discrimination that threatens their ability to thrive economically. The Equality Act would expand civil rights protections to explicitly and consistently protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination in employment, credit, housing, federally funded programs, and in public places and spaces. Millions of LGBTQ+ people across the country remain vulnerable to being denied service, being displaced from their housing, being denied health care, and other basic freedoms simply because of who they are or who they love.
Passing the Equality Act will include amending existing civil rights laws and several federal employment laws to explicitly include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes. This legislation will also amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit discrimination in public spaces and services and federally funded programs on the basis of sex.