Washington, DC - National Center for Transgender Equality Executive Director Mara Keisling and staff have been working closely with Congress on this comprehensive nondiscrimination bill. Of the introduction, Keisling said:
“This is a historic moment for transgender people. Everyone deserves to live, learn, work, have a home, shop in stores, and participate in society without discrimination, and the majority of Americans agree. This bill is especially important as it comes on the heels of unprecedented public attention on trans lives. Despite that, trans people have faced record rates of violence--just this week, we learned of the 10th trans woman of color murdered in 2015. For trans people, equality is a matter of life and death. Congress must understand this urgency as they work toward passing this landmark legislation."
“The Equality Act makes it clear in every state in the nation that being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender cannot be used to justify being denied a job, a service, or a home. This is the bill the LGBT community needs."
Today, only 19 states and the District of Columbia have clear LGBT nondiscrimination protections in employment and housing on the books. This patchwork of protections means LGBT Americans constantly live in fear of discrimination.
More than three-fourths of respondents in the 2011 National Transgender Discrimination Survey reporting experiencing workplace discrimination. And 90% of all the respondents have experienced disrespect, discrimination or violence in some critical aspect of life including employment, housing, and public accommodations.
Learn more about the National Transgender Discrimination Survey here.
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The National Center for Transgender Equality is the nation’s leading social justice advocacy organization winning life-saving change for transgender people. As a national social justice organization, NCTE is devoted to ending discrimination and violence against transgender people through education and advocacy on national issues of importance to transgender people.
