The House has passed the Equality Act, a key civil rights bill which will help provide non-discriminatory protections for LGBTQ+ Americans.
The Equality Act, which passed with 224 votes to 216 on 25th February, amends the 1974 Civil Rights Act and Fair Housing Act prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
The bill, which was first passed by the House in 2019 but was killed by a Republican-controlled Senate, would be the first bill to provide federal non-discriminatory protections for LGBTQ+ Americans.
President Joe Biden said: “The Equality Act provides long overdue federal civil rights protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, locking in critical safeguards in housing, education, public services and lending systems – and codifying the courage and resilience of the LGBTQ+ movement into enduring the law.”
Nearly all House Republicans opposed the bill and several Senate Republicans have expressed their opposition, including Mitt Romney of Utah.
The former presidential candidate said he would oppose the bill unless it added a provision giving “strong religious liberty protections.”
The bill showcases key ideological differences between liberals and conservatives, and legislature signed as recently as 2020 demonstrates laws motivated by discrimination are still being implemented.
Idaho passed a piece of legislature last year barring transgender people from updating their gender marker on their birth certificates. This year, a dozen states have introduced or passed laws barring trans girls from participating in girls’ sports teams, according to State Equality Index 2020.
However, the number of Americans supporting LGBTQ+ rights has grown since May 1974, when Bella Abzug introduced The Civil Rights Act. The bill was set out to prohibit discrimination against lesbian and gay people.
The Civil Rights Act of 1974 stated “all persons shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages and accommodations of any place of public accommodation without discrimination or segregation on the ground of race, colour, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation or national origin.”
The legislation has been revived several times since the first attempt by Ms Abzug, who passed away in 1998, and in the present day the fight for LGBTQ+ equality is vastly different.
According to a poll by Public Religion Research Institute, seven in ten Americans now say they favour laws that would protect LGBTQ+ people against discrimination in jobs, public accommodation, and housing. In addition, 62% of Americans say they have become more supportive towards transgender rights compared to their views five years ago.
President Biden, a vocal supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, signed an executive order reversing the ban on transgender troops within his first few days in office – a stark difference from Donald Trump’s administration.
However, LGBTQ+ advocates are adamant that comprehensive legislature at a federal level is needed rather than current laws, which differ between states.
Thus, if the Equality Act is passed this will be the first time civil rights protection for LGBTQ+ Americans will be cemented nationwide.
Millie Lockhart
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