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Biden urges swift passage of bill expanding protections for sexual orientation, gender identity
By John Wagner and Samantha Schmidt
Biden on Friday urged Congress “to swiftly pass” the Equality Act, legislation introduced Thursday in the House that would amend existing civil rights laws to explicitly ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in the workforce, housing, education and other areas of American life.
“Every person should be treated with dignity and respect, and this bill represents a critical step toward ensuring that America lives up to our foundational values of equality and freedom for all,” Biden said in a statement. “Full equality has been denied to LGBTQ+ Americans and their families for far too long.”
If passed, the legislation would provide the most comprehensive LGBTQ civil rights protections in U.S. history, advocates say, significantly altering the legal landscape in a country where more than half of states lack explicit legal protections on the basis of sexuality or gender identity.
Introduced by Rep. David N. Cicilline (D-R.I.), the Equality Act has broad support in the House, which is expected to vote on the measure next week. But it is likely to face opposition in the Senate, where passage would require at least 10 Republicans to vote for the bill because of filibuster rules.
