SPLC ACTION FUND: Joins Coalition in Calling on Congress to Pass the Equality Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the US House of Representatives reintroduced the Equality Act, groundbreaking civil rights legislation that would explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity by expanding the definitions of protected classes under several federal antidiscrimination laws, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Fair Housing Act of 1968, and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.

The following statement is from Scott McCoy, SPLC interim deputy director, LGBTQ Rights & Special Litigation:

“We are encouraged that the US House of Representatives has reintroduced the Equality Act.

“Its passage would ensure that LGBTQ+ people finally explicitly benefit from the same federal discrimination protections as all Americans when it comes to employment and housing, as well as filling nondiscrimination protection gaps in public spaces and services, education, access to credit (such as for mortgages), and all activities that receive federal funding.

“We urge Congress to pass the Equality Act so that LGBTQ+ people are specifically named in our nation’s civil rights laws and receive the dignity and respect they deserve.”