# The Equality Act: What It Does and Who It Affects

The Equality Act is a federal civil rights bill designed to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity across major areas of American life. Essentially, it would extend the same legal protections that currently exist for race and sex discrimination to also cover LGBTQ people. Right now, federal law doesn't explicitly protect people from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in many situations, even though some states and cities have their own protections. This bill would create a uniform national standard.

The bill would make it illegal to discriminate against LGBTQ people in employment, housing, credit and lending, public accommodations (like restaurants, hotels, stores, and transportation), education, and jury selection. It would also apply these protections to federal programs that receive government funding. For example, under this law, a landlord couldn't refuse to rent to someone because they're gay or transgender, a bank couldn't deny someone a mortgage based on their sexual orientation, and a restaurant couldn't refuse service to a same-sex couple. The bill also addresses specific issues like adoption and foster care agencies, making it illegal for them to turn away qualified LGBTQ parents or couples.

The bill's supporters argue it's necessary because LGBTQ people face real discrimination in these areas—studies cited in the bill show that same-sex couples encounter barriers when seeking housing, transgender people have higher homelessness rates, and LGBTQ individuals often experience employment discrimination. Opponents have raised concerns about how the law might interact with religious beliefs and practices, though the bill does include some religious exemptions. The practical effect would be that businesses and organizations across the country would need to follow the same non-discrimination rules regardless of which state they operate in, similar to how current civil rights laws work for race and gender.

Equality Act

Rep. Takano, Mark [D-CA-39]

Equality Act This bill prohibits discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity with respect to businesses, employment, housing, federally funded programs, and other settings. Specifically, the bill expands Title II and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit public accommodations and federally funded programs, respectively, from discriminating based on sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. It also includes stores, transit services, recreational facilities, and establishments that provide health care, accounting, or legal services as public accommodations under Title II. The bill also expands Title IV (desegregation of public schools) and Title VII (employment discrimination) to specifically include sexual orientation and gender identity. (The Supreme Court held in Bostock v. Clayton County that Title VII's prohibition of employment discrimination based on sex also prohibits employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.) The bill similarly expands the Fair Housing Act (discrimination in public and private housing) to include sexual orientation and gender identity. It also prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity by creditors and with respect to jury selection. The bill defines sex for purposes of the aforementioned provisions to include sex stereotypes, pregnancy, childbirth, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics.