Should we ban discrimination against LGBTQ+ people?
Bill Summary
The Equality Act prohibits discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in areas including public accommodations and facilities, education, federal funding, employment, housing, credit, and the jury system. Specifically, the bill defines and includes sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity among the prohibited categories of discrimination or segregation. Sponsor: Rep. David N. Cicilline (Democrat, Rhode Island, District 1)
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Opponents say
• This bill has the potential to violate religious freedoms protected by the constitution.
• “The Equality Act would force employers and workers to conform to new sexual norms or else lose their businesses and jobs… [It] would force hospitals and insurers to provide and pay for these therapies against any moral or medical objections. It would politicize medicine by forcing professionals to act against their best medical judgment and provide transition-affirming therapies… [It] would ultimately lead to the erasure of women by dismantling sex-specific facilities, sports, and other female-only spaces.” - The Heritage Foundation
• “While providing extremely broad protections for LGBT rights, the Equality Act provides no protections for religious freedom. It would instead repeal long-standing religious rights under the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, threaten religious employment standards, devastate religious education, defund numerous religious charities and impose secular standards on religious activities and properties” - Church of the Latter-Day Saints
• “The Equality Act would force employers and workers to conform to new sexual norms or else lose their businesses and jobs… [It] would force hospitals and insurers to provide and pay for these therapies against any moral or medical objections. It would politicize medicine by forcing professionals to act against their best medical judgment and provide transition-affirming therapies… [It] would ultimately lead to the erasure of women by dismantling sex-specific facilities, sports, and other female-only spaces.” - The Heritage Foundation
• “While providing extremely broad protections for LGBT rights, the Equality Act provides no protections for religious freedom. It would instead repeal long-standing religious rights under the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, threaten religious employment standards, devastate religious education, defund numerous religious charities and impose secular standards on religious activities and properties” - Church of the Latter-Day Saints
Proponents say
• We cannot allow discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation and this bill provides that moral clarity and safeguard.
• “LGBT Americans and their families deserve to be protected against all forms of discrimination no matter where they live… This legislation would ban discrimination against LGBT people in housing, employment, education, jury service, credit and financing, and public accommodations.” - Rep. Steny Hoyer (Democrat, Maryland, District 5)
• “I believe we can protect the free exercise of religion and protect the basic rights of LGBTQ Americans to be treated fairly under the law and have an equal opportunity to succeed and live full lives. The Equality Act is another step in the direction we need to take, but we still have much to do.” - Rep. Ben McAdams (Democrat, Utah, District 4)
• “Last summer, we introduced the Equality Act to expand the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other existing federal laws to make sure that LGBT Americans can live their lives free from discrimination of any kind… Since last year, nearly 200 bills have been introduced in 34 states to expressly permit discrimination against LGBT Americans - and you can see on this map right here the number of bills that have been introduced that are pending in states all across the country… Over the course of our history, our country has always marched towards the ideal that all Americans are entitled to equality under the law. It hasn’t been an easy process, but fairness and equality are core values that unite us as Americans.” - Rep. David N. Cicilline (Democrat, Rhode Island, District 1)
• “LGBT Americans and their families deserve to be protected against all forms of discrimination no matter where they live… This legislation would ban discrimination against LGBT people in housing, employment, education, jury service, credit and financing, and public accommodations.” - Rep. Steny Hoyer (Democrat, Maryland, District 5)
• “I believe we can protect the free exercise of religion and protect the basic rights of LGBTQ Americans to be treated fairly under the law and have an equal opportunity to succeed and live full lives. The Equality Act is another step in the direction we need to take, but we still have much to do.” - Rep. Ben McAdams (Democrat, Utah, District 4)
• “Last summer, we introduced the Equality Act to expand the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other existing federal laws to make sure that LGBT Americans can live their lives free from discrimination of any kind… Since last year, nearly 200 bills have been introduced in 34 states to expressly permit discrimination against LGBT Americans - and you can see on this map right here the number of bills that have been introduced that are pending in states all across the country… Over the course of our history, our country has always marched towards the ideal that all Americans are entitled to equality under the law. It hasn’t been an easy process, but fairness and equality are core values that unite us as Americans.” - Rep. David N. Cicilline (Democrat, Rhode Island, District 1)
- Democrats reintroduce Equality Act to ban LGBTQ discrimination (NBC News)
- Rep. Cicilline: We Can’t Allow ‘Religious Freedom’ to be Used to Discriminate Against LGBT (CNS News)
- US bishops: Equality Act will hurt more than help (Catholic News Agency)
- This Week: House to Vote on Bill to Ban LGBTQ Discrimination (The Hill)
- Cicilline Remarks at Press Conference Calling for Hearing on Equality Act (Press Release)
- Heritage Explains: The Equality Act (The Heritage Foundation)
