House Passes New Dem-Endorsed HR 5, The Equality Act
Today, New Democrat Coalition Chair Derek Kilmer released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5, The Equality Act, a bill to ban discrimination against LGBTQ individuals in arenas such as housing, employment, federal funding, education, credit, and jury service.
“Every American deserves to have access to the same basic civil rights, regardless of who they are or whom they love. I’m proud to represent a state that provides protections to ensure that LGBTQ Washingtonians don’t face discrimination, but it’s important that Congress passed vital legislation today to extend anti-discrimination protections to LGBTQ Americans in every corner of the nation. Fairness and equality are core American values, and our LGBTQ friends and neighbors should be guaranteed the same basic civil rights and opportunities as anyone else - whether they’re dealing with employment, education, credit, jury service, federal funding, housing, or starting a family.”
The Equality Act will amend the Civil Rights Act to illegalize discrimination against individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. New Democrat Coalition Members have long pushed for equal rights legislation to protect LGBTQ Americans, and this legislation would help our country take an important step forward towards protecting their rights."
The New Democrat Coalition announced its endorsement of H.R. 5 at a press conference in front of the Capitol last week. Watch the full press conference here.
###
Next Article Previous Article