Support the Equality Act to Protect LGBTQ+ People from Discrimination

I am writing to urge you to support the Equality Act, H.R. 15 and S. 1503, which would extend critical civil rights protections to LGBTQ+ people across the country. While the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects people from discrimination based on race, skin color, sex, religion, and national origin, it does not explicitly protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. This gap in federal law has real consequences. In 27 states without robust LGBTQ+ anti-discrimination laws, LGBTQ+ people can legally be fired from their jobs, harassed at work, barred from businesses, and denied housing simply because of who they are or whom they love. The Equality Act would remedy this injustice by updating existing civil rights laws to explicitly ban discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. The legislation would also revise the Civil Rights Act to ban sex-based discrimination in public spaces and services such as retail stores, pharmacies, and transit, as well as in federally funded programs. These protections would extend beyond federal programs to the private sector, ensuring that all Americans have equal access to employment, housing, and public accommodations. The conservative majority on the Supreme Court has been eroding LGBTQ+ rights, making congressional action more urgent than ever. While Congress took an important step by passing the Respect for Marriage Act in 2022 to protect same-sex marriage, we must build on that momentum by codifying comprehensive nondiscrimination protections into law. LGBTQ+ people continue to face significant violence and discrimination in the workplace, in the housing market, and in everyday interactions. I ask that you cosponsor and vote in favor of the Equality Act. Every person deserves to live free from discrimination, and this legislation would ensure that LGBTQ+ Americans have the same protections under federal law that other groups have enjoyed for decades.