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Equality Act Passes House of Representatives with Bipartisan Support

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Ash Orr (they/he)

The Equality Act—a landmark civil rights bill that would extend legal protections to LGBTQ people—was succesfully passed by the House of Representatives with bipartisan support today in a 236-173 vote.

This is the first time the Equality Act has been passed by the House since it was first introduced in its original form in 1973. The bill continues to maintain majority support in all 50 states and across age and religious demographics. The bill should now be introduced into the Senate, where the Equality Act has a bipartisan coalition of 47 original sponsors.

Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, applauded today’s historic vote:

"Today’s vote marks a proud triumph for the liberty of transgender people nationwide. Transgender people have been denied our freedom for generations, trapped by the ignorance, fear, and violence that marks too many of our lives. Under Speaker Pelosi and Rep. Cicilline’s leadership, the House has today set the groundwork for a future in which transgender people are free to prosper and thrive alongside their fellow Americans.

"But we have not come this far to only come this far. Leader McConnell must bring this bill to the Senate floor for a vote. Denying transgender people their most basic rights would be nothing short of a moral crime, one that would stain this Senate for years. Now is not the time for brinkmanship, partisanship, or cowardice. Now is the time Senators must fulfill their duty to uphold the rights of all people in their states and serve the interests of the nation over the interests of party."

 

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