By Ella Hartshorn
March 1, 2021
The House of Representatives voted on Thursday to pass the Equality Act, a bill that would ban discrimination against people based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Last Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives reintroduced and voted 224 to 206 to pass the Equality Act, a bill protecting LGBTQ+ individuals from discrimination in regards to sexual orientation and gender identity. The same act was passed by the House in 2019, but was later rejected in the Senate. Although its fate in the Senate remains uncertain, passing this bill this time around is one of President Joe Biden’s top priorities in his 100 days of office. Similar to the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on religion, race, national origin, sex, the Equality Act would not only protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination, it would also give equal access to housing, employment, education, public spaces, and same-sex couple health care benefits.
After same-sex marriage was nationally legalized in 2015, there have been an addition of laws advocating for discrimination against the queer community. Exemplary laws being some that specifically target transgender people and how that many states do not have active non-discriminatory laws to protect communities that are considered marginalized. The transgender military ban was uplifted in January of 2021, and during the summer of 2020, building off of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the supreme court ruled that gay and transgender workers could not be fired for their sexual orientation or gender identity. Up to that point in time, it was legal in more than 25 states to fire a worker for being transgender, bisexual, or gay. The reversal of the military ban allows transgender individuals to serve in the military and the Civil Rights Act creates a safety net to many.
The House passing the Equality Act is a significant step forward for the LGBTQ+ community. And if passed by the Senate, we will be living in a more accepting society. But even though gay-marriage, the civil rights laws, and the Equality Act are positive actions taken by the government to ensure inclusion throughout the United States, it is just a fraction of what can be done to make LGBTQ+ individuals feel as if they are on the same societal level as their heterosexual and cis-gendered peers.
Recommended resources:
https://www.hrc.org/campaigns/equality-act
https://freedomforallamericans.org/states/ https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2020/06/15/us/gay-transgender-workers-supreme-court.amp.html
Meet the Writer!
Meet the Writer!
Ella Hartshorn, class of 2021, is the co-leader of the DHS Feminist Club. She also competes as a Marauder for the cross country and track and field teams.
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