The U.S. House on Friday approved the
Equality Act.
Eight Republicans joined Democrats to
approve the bill by a vote of 236-173.
The Equality Act seeks to add
protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and
gender identity to existing civil rights laws.
On Monday, the Trump administration
said that the president is opposed to the legislation.
Out Representative David Cicilline of
Rhode Island called passage “truly historic.”
“The American people think it's time
to protect the LGBTQ community,” Cicilline said. “There is
nothing more central to the idea of America than the guarantee of
equal protection under the law for every single American.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that
the legislation brings the nation closer to fulfilling America's
promise of liberty and justice for all.
“Fifty years after the LBGTQ
Americans took to the streets outside of New York’s Stonewall Inn
to fight against harassment and hate, we take pride in the progress
we have forged together,” Pelosi said on the House floor. “Our
Founders, in their great wisdom, wrote in our beautiful preamble –
wrote of the blessings of liberty, which were to be the birthright of
all Americans. To bring our nation closer to the founding promise of
liberty and justice for all, we, today, pass the Equality Act and
finally, fully end discrimination against LGBTQ Americans.”
Republicans who voted for the
legislation include Representatives Susan Brooks of Indiana, Mario
Diaz-Balart of Florida, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Will Hurd
of Texas, John Katko of New York, Tom Reed of New York, Elise
Stefanik of New York, and Greg Walden of Oregon.
The bill faces a steep incline in the
Republican-controlled Senate.