A second Republican in the House has
endorsed the Equality Act.
First introduced in 2015, the Equality
Act seeks to prohibit anti-LGBT discrimination in seven key areas,
including credit, education, employment, federal funding, housing,
jury service and public accommodations, by effectively expanding the
Civil Rights Act, originally approved in 1964.
The bill was reintroduced early last
month.
(Related: Democrats
reintroduce LGBT protections bill Equality Act.)
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the
nation's largest LGBT rights advocate, on Wednesday announced that
Virginia Rep. Scott Taylor had endorsed the bill.
“Discrimination anywhere is an
injustice,” Taylor
said. “I'm proud to support the Equality Act and will work to
ensure that all are treated the same under the law.”
“The growing support for the Equality
Act by Republicans, Democrats, and Independents proves that LGBTQ
equality is not a partisan issue,” said HRC Government Affairs
Director David Stacy. “All Americans should have a fair chance to
earn a living, provide for their families, and live their lives
without fear of discrimination. We are grateful for Rep. Scott
Taylor’s leadership and support for this crucially important
legislation that will finally ensure LGBTQ people are protected from
unjust discrimination.”
Taylor is the second House Republican
after Florida Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen to endorse the measure.
Ros-Lehtinen is the House's most reliable Republican supporter of
LGBT rights. Earlier this year, she announced she would not be
running for re-election in 2018.