Democratic leaders in the House and
Senate on Wednesday reintroduced the Equality Act, a federal LGBTQ
protections bill.
The Equality Act would prohibit
discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in
employment, housing, public accommodations, and other key areas.
In the House, Representative Mark
Takano, a Democrat from California, is the main sponsor of the
legislation. The House bill (HR 15) has 214 co-sponsors, according to
Congress.gov, all of whom are Democrats.
“Today I reintroduced the
#EqualityAct in the House alongside my @EqualityCaucus colleagues,”
Takano said in a tweet. “As the first openly gay person of color to
serve in Congress, I am honored & proud to champion this
legislation.”
“We cannot allow extremists in our
country to once again normalize homophobia and attacks on LGBTQ
people,” Takano said in other remarks, a reference to the hundreds
of state bills filled this year targeting the LGBTQ community. “We
can't turn away from the discrimination that still exists for so many
LGBTQ people today.”
The House has twice before approved the
bill – in 2019 and 2021, when the chamber was controlled by
Democrats – but passage this year seems highly unlikely with
Republicans in control.
A companion bill also introduced
Wednesday in the Senate, where Democrats hold a slim majority, is
more likely to see its first victory in that chamber.
“Progress must not be mistaken for
victory,” said Senator Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat from Wisconsin.
“[We must fight] until all Americans have the freedom of equality.”
President Joe Biden once again called
on Congress to swiftly approve the Equality Act.