Senate Judiciary Committee Holds Historic Hearing on Equality Act
March 17, 2021 • 2:51 pmWASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the Senate Judiciary Committee held its first-ever hearing on S. 383, the Equality Act, which would update federal civil rights law to ensure explicit and comprehensive protections for LGBTQ people from discrimination in virtually every area of life. The legislation passed the U.S. House of Representatives in a bipartisan victory last month.
“Today’s Equality Act hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee is a milestone in our community’s 50-year fight to secure full LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections,” said KaseyThe Equality Act is supported by nearly 400 businesses and industry associations such as the National Association of Manufacturers and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In its testimony in support of the legislation, the America Competes coalition of businesses wrote: “Nondiscrimination protections that are updated to include LGBTQ Americans will ensure maximum operational stability, flexibility, and agility for employers that are driving the American economy. Such protections will also unlock hidden potential among LGBTQ workers who might not currently feel they can fully be themselves at work or in their communities, and for those parents of LGBTQ kids who currently bear the weight of daily worries about their family’s safety. … It is for these reasons that we are proud to support the Equality Act, legislation that reflects shared American values, is broadly supported by the American people, and represents opportunity for innovation, growth and prosperity.”
The urgency and momentum for LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections over recent years is undeniable. According to a 2020 study, one in three LGBTQ Americans faced discrimination in the previous year, including three in five transgender Americans. The Equality Act’s protections will help curb discrimination that real people face in their lives. The bill is about people like Jody Davis in Ohio, a Christian and veteran who was denied housing and refused service at a store because she is a transgender woman. It would affect Chris Chun in Texas, a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Army and father to a transgender girl whose safety he worries about every day. The Equality Act would deter incidents that happen to people like Randal Coffman in Florida, who was evicted by his landlord for being gay. For people like Bailey and Samantha Brazzel, who simply wanted to file their taxes but were turned away by a tax preparer in Indiana because they are a same-sex couple, the Equality Act makes clear that turning them away because of who they are is impermissible. And for same-sex couples like Krista and Jami Contreras in Michigan, who had to find a new healthcare provider for their six-day-old newborn after the doctor they’d chosen turned them away for being lesbians, the Equality Act could be lifesaving. The scope of discrimination that LGTBQ Americans face is not fully quantifiable but it is well-documented.Freedom for All Americans submitted testimony to the Senate Judiciary committee in support of the legislation which can be found here: https://
Freedom for All Americans is the bipartisan campaign to secure full nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people nationwide. Our work brings together Republicans and Democrats, businesses large and small, people of faith, and allies from all walks of life to make the case for comprehensive nondiscrimination protections that ensure everyone is treated fairly and equally.