A bill that would ban LGBT discrimination in all areas of civil rights law is set to be presented in both chambers of Congress on Thursday, and like most legitimately good ideas in government these days, is expected to fail.
According to a “Dear Colleague” letter dated July 20 and obtained by the Washington Blade, the soon-to-be proposed Equality Act targets seven areas to explicitly protect LGBT people: credit, education, employment, federal funding, housing, jury service and public accommodations.
The bill shares a name with the first ever federal gay rights bill introduced by the late Rep. Bella Abzug of New York City along with New York City Representative and future NYC mayor Ed Koch in 1974. That bill sought to amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include sexual orientation, but wasn’t passed.
Given our current Congress’ strong Republican leanings (their largest majority since the Truman administration), the new Equality Act will likely meet the same fate as the previous one.
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Related: Guess What? You Can No Longer Be Fired For Being Gay Anywhere In America.
The bill’s introduction comes just one week after the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, created to enforce and implement the 1964 Civil Rights Act, ruled that workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation is covered under gender protections.
Still, advocates emphasize the importance of adding explicit language to employment law to make absolute certain that LGBT protections are enforced.
It remains unclear if this new legislation will seek to amend the Civil Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act or implement a new set of laws that would provide comprehensive protection another way.
Sadly, it probably won’t matter as these issues aren’t pressing for the majority of the Republican party. The Blade points out that if any LGBT-related legislation is likely to see movement in the current congress, it may be the First Amendment Defense Act, a religious freedom bill seen to enable anti-LGBT discrimination.
Related: Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal Calls Antigay Religious Freedom Laws “Common Sense”
How inspiring.
AtticusBennett
hey gay republicans! enjoy another election season where literally every single presidential candidate will be running anti-LGBT campaigns and platforms! they hate you.
we liberals don’t have that problem.
BlueDude
@AtticusBennett: Love you, Atticus! It’ll be interesting, and informative, to see how far this legislation goes with the currently Rethuglican-controlled Congress. Hopefully, when in 2016 the Dems retake both Houses, due to a large voter turnout of SANE people, the groundwork will have been laid, and its passage will be easy. While those “candidates” on the GOP clownbus blather & squawk hatred for the next year, maybe brighter voters will finally get enough of bile and bigotry.
Giancarlo85
You can talk sense to gay Republicans and conservatives. These self hating clowns will continue to vote rethuglican because they think it will be better for their check book. Rethuglicans are horrible for the economy and everyone in this nation. Lauraspencer, MCHG, Bj mcfrisky… These idiots would never show their ugly faces in this article.
They only comment in articles about Hillary or Obama. These tools hate them so much they are willing to vote for a party tied to organized crime and corruption. Tammany Hall all over again.
Giancarlo85
@Giancarlo85: *can’t talk sense
Mark42091
These people drive me crazy. These politicians have nothing else to do is pick on someone else. They can legal pick on us because of religious right. These people make me sick. Religious rights. Just dont get me started ugh. I cant wait for us to win in 2016 cause when we do this will pass i tell you that.
Glücklich
Table it until there is an amenable congress assembled. Pick the fights you can win and pick them *when* you can win them.
darian
@Glücklich: I couldn’t agree with you more. At large Republicans as a whole are still upset over the SCOTUS decision on marriage equality. I don’t see this do nothing congress willing approve anything for fear of losing the their seats.
Giancarlo85
@darian: Um. Republicans are still upset over Obama being elected and re-elected lol. It’s not even same sex marriage. Their rage goes back several years now… they are still upset Sarah Palin didn’t end up in the White House.
Alistair Wiseman
@AtticusBennett:
If you are only a one issue voter concerned with gay rights then the Democratic Party is your party. It’s all the other issues that come with Leftism that has created groups like the Log Cabin Republicans.
Giancarlo85
@Alistair Wiseman: You are so full of yourself. Republicans have a record of failure:
Economy – Republicans crashed the economy last time in power, leaving Obama to clean up the mess.
Environment – Look at republican states… total environmental dumps. Another republican failure.
International Relations – Iraq anyone? ISIL? Republican policies created ISIL. Do we really need the party that invites taliban “freedom fighters” (taliban) into the White House?
The Log Cabin republicans don’t care about other issues. They care only about their own self interest.
If you care about multiple issues, you would never vote republican. EVER.
darian
@Alistair Wiseman: Here it’s there chance to do something about one issue. To say you know what gays are Americans to and should not be discriminated against. Nope this do nothing congress will vote it down harming more gays. But people like you will keep giving them power because…. It’s just one issue. Hope your at peace with yourself at the millions of people you have hurt.
darian
@darian: Wow so many grammatical errors in my post. I guess the wine is working. It meant to go something like this:
Here is their chance to do something about this one issue. To say you know what gays are Americans to and should not be discriminated against. Nope this do nothing congress will vote it down harming more gays. But people like you will keep giving them power because…. It’s just one issue. Hope your at peace with yourself at the millions of people you have help hurt.
Giancarlo85
alistair will never get it. He’s not wise at all. More like a blithering fool.