House To Vote On LGBT Protections Bill Equality Act Next Week

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, a Democrat from Maryland, on Tuesday announced that the House will vote on the Equality Act next week.

In a “Dear Colleague” letter, Hoyer said that the House will take up the legislation next week, the Washington Blade reported.

“Other legislation coming to the floor next week are two bills that passed through the House last Congress: a wilderness package and the Equality Act, which will end legal discrimination against LGBTQ Americans,” wrote Hoyer, who manages floor proceedings in the House.

The Equality Act cleared the House last year but stalled in the Senate, which was controlled by Republicans. While President Joe Biden has promised to sign the bill, former President Donald Trump signaled his opposition. In a 2000 interview, Trump said that he supports legislation that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The Equality Act seeks to add protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity to existing civil rights laws in key areas such as employment, credit, housing, federally-funded programs, and public accommodations. It also prohibits the use of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to enable anti-LGBT discrimination.