FACT SHEET: The Equality Act Will Present Lengthy Overdue Civil Rights Protections for Thousands and thousands of Individuals

Freedom and equality are fundamental American values. But today, millions of Americans lack basic non-discrimination protection just because they are or whom they love. President Biden believes that every American must be able to live freely, openly, and safely. Because of this, he continues to urge the Senate to swiftly pass the Equality Act, a law that provides LGBTQ + Americans and their families with long-overdue federal civil rights protection while also strengthening some key civil rights laws for people of color, women, and people with disabilities, and people of belief.

Despite the strides our nation has made towards full equality, LGBTQ + Americans in 29 states still lack full non-discrimination protection. In the absence of federal non-discrimination law, more than half of all US states lack laws prohibiting discrimination against LGBTQ + people and families. The lack of federal non-discrimination protection for LGBTQ + people means millions of Americans can be denied housing, education, credit, and more just because they are or whom they love. In states across the country, LGBTQ + Americans can get married on Sunday and refuse to lease on Monday.

The Equality Act will ensure long overdue protection of civil rights based on sexual orientation and gender identity and ensure that LGBTQ + Americans finally enjoy equal legal protection. The Equality Act amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to provide explicit non-discrimination protection based on gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity. The bill builds on the Supreme Court ruling in Bostock v Clayton County by making it clear that non-discrimination protection for LGBTQ + people in employment extends to other areas of life.

The Equal Opportunities Act will help protect LGBTQ + Americans who continue to report discrimination. Studies show that the majority of LGBTQ + Americans report that they have been personally discriminated against because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Transgender Americans, especially colored transgender women, continue to face rampant discrimination in housing, at work, and in public. These types of discrimination mean that LGBTQ + Americans face higher rates of poverty, violence, and unemployment than other Americans.

Discrimination is not all wrong. It is also detrimental to the physical health and safety of LGBTQ + Americans, especially transgender women. LGBTQ + Americans still face discrimination when seeking medical help or seeing a doctor. In surveys, nearly 29% of transgender people in the United States say they have been denied medical care because of their identity, which can lead to their avoidance of medical care. Because of this, the Department of Health and Social Affairs has announced that it is taking steps to address and prevent healthcare discrimination against LGBTQ + Americans, but federal law is needed to codify these safeguards. Discrimination also leads to violence. Transgender women face epidemic violence. Too often this violence stems from institutional discrimination in health, housing and employment.

Anti-LGBTQ + discrimination also contributes to the mental inequalities LGBTQ + youth face. 75 percent of LGBTQ + young people state that they have been discriminated against because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Discrimination and bullying are bad for the mental health of every young person, and more than half of all transgender and non-binary adolescents said they had thought seriously about suicide in the past year. To combat bullying and discrimination in schools, the Department of Education has announced that it is taking steps to expand protection for LGBTQ + students in our country’s schools, but federal law is needed to codify that protection.

The Equal Opportunities Act will also extend the protection of public accommodation for people of color, women and co-religionists. The Equal Opportunities Act would also strengthen civil rights protections for other protected groups, including people of color, women, people with disabilities and believers, by extending non-discrimination protection to public housing.

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