WASHINGTON, DC, May 2, 2017–Today, the National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund is joining members of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus in re-introducing the Equality Act. Sponsored by United States Representative David Cicilline (D-Rhode Island) and United States Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin), and Cory Booker (D-New Jersey), the bill seeks to explicitly ban discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people in federal law. The historic legislation would also include protections against sex discrimination in laws regarding public accommodations and federal funding.
“Everyone, regardless of who they are or the person they love, deserves equal protection under the law. Despite the significant progress we’ve made toward equality in the last decade, the Trump Administration’s attacks on LGBTQ people shows just how swiftly many of these hard-fought changes can be rolled back. That is why we need strong federal non-discrimination legislation for LGBTQ people in employment, housing, education, public accommodations, publicly funded programs, access to credit, and jury service,” said Rea Carey, Executive Director, National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund.
For over forty years, the National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund has been advocating for non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people. In 1975, the organization was instrumental in the introduction of the first comprehensive non-discrimination bill in Congress by the legendary Congresswoman Bella Abzug (D-NY); continued to push hard for more protections in the states, through the courts, and through important agency rulings; advocated for executive actions to provide more protections for both federal employees and the employees of federal contractors, and will continue to push for local, state and federal non-discrimination legislation.
CONTACT:
Jorge Amaro
Media and Public Relations Director
213-842-7564
jamaro@thetaskforce.org