Equality Caucus Celebrates the Reintroduction of the Equality Act
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brad Sherman (CA-32) and fellow Members of the Congressional Equality Caucus reintroduced the Equality Act to ensure explicit nondiscrimination protections for all LGBTQI+ Americans.
As a member of the Equality Caucus, I'm pleased to help reintroduce the Equality Act, critical legislation to ensure explicit nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQI+ people," said Congressman Sherman.
The bill is cosponsored by every Democratic member of the House of Representatives and passed the House with bipartisan support in 2019 and 2021. Senator Jeff Merkley, Equality Caucus Co-Founder Senator Tammy Baldwin, and Senator Cory Booker reintroduced the Senate companion earlier today.
The Equality Act would amend existing civil rights laws to explicitly prohibit discrimination against LGBTQI+ people in:
- Employment
- Housing
- Public Accommodations
- Education
- Federally Funded Programs
- Credit; and
- Jury Service
The Equality Act would also prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in public accommodations and federally funded programs.
The Equality Act expands the definition of public accommodations in the Civil Rights Act, strengthening protections not just on the basis of sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics), but also on the basis of race, color, national origin, and religion.
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