The U.S. House Judiciary Committee on
Wednesday approved a bill that seeks to prohibit LGBT discrimination.
Reintroduced in March with bipartisan
support, the Equality Act that seeks to prohibit discrimination
against people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
in key areas such as employment, housing, federally-funded programs,
and public accommodations.
(Related: Pete
Buttigieg endorses LGBT protections bill Equality Act.)
The bill cleared the committee on party
lines, with all Republicans voting against it.
Rhode Island Representative David
Cicilline, who is openly gay, is the bill's sponsor in the House.
“This bill affirms those values and
ensures members of the LGBTQ community can live their lives free from
the fear of legal discrimination of any kind,” Cicilline said in a
statement released after the vote.
The legislation has enough support to
clear the House, but passage in the Senate, which is controlled by
Republicans, is seen as a steep incline. President Donald Trump, who
described himself as a better “friend” to the LGBT community than
Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election, has not said whether he
supports the bill.