Sherman and House Dems reintroduce Equality Act as Trump escalates war on LGBTQ+ community
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Brad Sherman (CA-32) and Congressional Democrats reintroduced the Equality Act that enshrines federal protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The legislation would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to explicitly ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, education, public accommodations, jury service, and federally funded programs.
"As a Member of the Equality Caucus who helped introduce the Equality Act, I know that the majority of Americans support nondiscrimination protections for the LGBTQI+ community. It’s time for Congress to listen," said Congressman Sherman. " I’m proud to stand with my Equality Caucus and House Democratic colleagues today to reintroduce the Equality Act and help protect our LGBTQI+ community."
The renewed push for the Equality Act comes amid an unprecedented assault on LGBTQ+ rights by the Trump administration.
Just hours after his second inauguration in January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring that the federal government would no longer recognize transgender and nonbinary people. The sweeping directive, titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” redefined sex as strictly male or female based on birth characteristics — ignoring decades of medical science and legal precedent.
The order mandates that federal agencies erase references to gender identity, restricts passports and social security records to assigned sex at birth, and strips Title IX protections for transgender students. It also rescinds funding for gender-affirming health care and directs prisons to house transgender women with men, regardless of their safety.
In addition to targeting transgender Americans, Trump’s administration has moved to reinstate the ban on transgender military service, cut funding for LGBTQ+ suicide prevention efforts, and censor LGBTQ+ content in schools and government communications.
Under the Equality Act, LGBTQ+ Americans would gain comprehensive protections currently missing in much of the country. While the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 Bostock v. Clayton County decision confirmed that workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, it left gaps in areas like housing, education, and public spaces that the Equality Act would finally close.
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