Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
House Set to Approve Sweeping Bill to Expand Gay Rights
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
May 17, 2019

Share

WASHINGTON — Democrats in the House approved sweeping anti-discrimination legislation Friday that would extend civil rights protections to LGBT people by prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The protections would extend to employment, housing, loan applications, education, public accommodations and other areas.

Called the Equality Act, the bill is a top priority of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who said it will bring the nation “closer to equal liberty and justice for all.”

Sexual orientation and gender identity “deserve full civil rights protections — in the workplace and in every place, education, housing, credit, jury service, public accommodations.” — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Sexual orientation and gender identity “deserve full civil rights protections – in the workplace and in every place, education, housing, credit, jury service, public accommodations,” Pelosi said.

The vote was 236-173.

The legislation’s chief sponsor, Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., said it affirms fairness and equality as core American values “and ensures members of the LGBTQ community can live their lives free from the fear of legal discrimination of any kind.”

Cicilline, who is gay, called equal treatment under the law a founding principle of the United States, adding “It’s absurd that, in 2019, members of the LGBTQ community can be fired from their jobs, denied service in a restaurant or get thrown out of their apartment because of their sexual orientation or gender identify.”

Most Republicans oppose the bill and call it another example of government overreach. Several GOP lawmakers spoke against it Friday on the House floor. President Donald Trump is widely expected to veto the legislation if it reaches his desk.

At a news conference Thursday, the Republicans said the bill would jeopardize religious freedom by requiring acceptance of a particular ideology about sexuality and sexual identity.

Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Mo., called the legislation “grossly misnamed” and said it is “anything but equalizing.”

Some Critics Said the Bill Could Jeopardize Title IX

The bill “hijacks” the 1964 Civil Rights Act to create “a brave new world of ‘discrimination’ based on undefined terms of sexual orientation and gender identity,” Hartzler said. The legislation threatens women’s sports, shelters and schools, and could silence female athletes, domestic abuse survivors and other women, she said.

A similar bill in the Senate has been co-sponsored by all but one Senate Democrat, but faces long odds in the Republican-controlled chamber.

“It is way past time to fully open the doors of opportunity for every American. Let’s pass the Equality Act, and let us rejoice in the bells of freedom ringing for every American.” — Sen. Jeff Merkley

A Trump administration official who asked not be identified, because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the president’s intentions, said the White House “opposes discrimination of any kind and supports the equal treatment of all. However, this bill in its current form is filled with poison pills that threaten to undermine parental and conscience rights.”

Some critics also said the bill could jeopardize Title IX, the law prohibiting sex discrimination in federally funded education programs. Former tennis star Martina Navratilova co-wrote an opinion piece in The Washington Post urging lawmakers not to “make the unnecessary and ironic mistake of sacrificing the enormously valuable social good that is female sports in their effort to secure the rights of transgender women and girls.”

Ahead of the vote, Rep. Jody Hice, R-Ga., called the House bill “horrifying” and said it could cause Catholic schools to lose federal grants for school lunches or require faith-based adoption agencies to place children with same-sex couples.

Neena Chaudhry, a lawyer for the National Women’s Law Center, said the bill does not undermine Title IX, because courts have already found that Title IX protects against gender-identity discrimination.

“It is way past time to fully open the doors of opportunity for every American,” said Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., one of the Senate bill’s lead sponsors. “Let’s pass the Equality Act, and let us rejoice in the bells of freedom ringing for every American.”

In the Senate, Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine also supports the bill, while Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia is the sole Democrat who is not a co-sponsor.

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Road Rage Incident Leads to Violent Assault, High-Speed Chase

DON'T MISS

When to Expect Fresno County Election Results

DON'T MISS

Israeli Strikes Target Syria for a Second Day in a Row

DON'T MISS

Trump Snaps at Reporter When Asked About Abortion: ‘Stop Talking About That’

DON'T MISS

Soria Stumps Outside Polling Place. Was it Legal?

DON'T MISS

These California Toss-Ups May Decide Which Party Controls Congress

DON'T MISS

What We’ll Know and When We’ll Know It: A Guide to Election Night

DON'T MISS

Democratic Mayors in San Francisco and Oakland Fight to Keep Their Jobs on Election Day

DON'T MISS

These 8 Counties Could Hint at Where the Election Is Headed

DON'T MISS

Israel’s Netanyahu Dismisses Defense Minister in Surprise Announcement

UP NEXT

North Korea’s Long-Range Missile Test Signals Its Improved, Potential Capability to Attack US

UP NEXT

Visalia Rollerblader Suffered Major Injuries After Being Struck by Vehicle

UP NEXT

Fresno County Man Indicted for Possessing Stolen Guns

UP NEXT

On Elon Musk’s X, Dems Are an Endangered Species While GOP Goes Viral

UP NEXT

New Vehicles, Face Paint and a 1,200-Foot Fall: The US Army Prepares for War With China

UP NEXT

CNN Bars Pro-Trump Guest After His ‘Beeper’ Remark to Mehdi Hasan

UP NEXT

LGBTQ Supporters Drown Out Westboro Baptists’ Anti-Gay Message in Fresno

UP NEXT

The ‘Black Insurrectionist’ Was Actually White. The Deception Did Not Stop There

UP NEXT

Washington Post Says It Will Stop Endorsing Presidential Candidates

UP NEXT

What Happened When a Barber Told Trump About His $15,000 Electric Bill

Trump Snaps at Reporter When Asked About Abortion: ‘Stop Talking About That’

2 hours ago

Soria Stumps Outside Polling Place. Was it Legal?

3 hours ago

These California Toss-Ups May Decide Which Party Controls Congress

3 hours ago

What We’ll Know and When We’ll Know It: A Guide to Election Night

4 hours ago

Democratic Mayors in San Francisco and Oakland Fight to Keep Their Jobs on Election Day

4 hours ago

These 8 Counties Could Hint at Where the Election Is Headed

4 hours ago

Israel’s Netanyahu Dismisses Defense Minister in Surprise Announcement

5 hours ago

Cryptocurrency Markets, Promoted by Trump, Brace for Election Volatility

5 hours ago

Trump, Vance and Allies Hurl Insults at Women as Race Ends

5 hours ago

NFL Trade Deadline: Lions Get Za’Darius Smith, Cowboys Add Jonathan Mingo

6 hours ago

Fresno County Road Rage Incident Leads to Violent Assault, High-Speed Chase

A road rage incident turned violent when a driver assaulted another motorist with a weapon before fleeing the scene, the California Highway ...

52 mins ago

A road rage incident in Fresno County escalated into a violent assault and a high-speed pursuit, resulting in the suspect's arrest and vehicle impoundment. (CHP)
52 mins ago

Fresno County Road Rage Incident Leads to Violent Assault, High-Speed Chase

1 hour ago

When to Expect Fresno County Election Results

The wreckage left by Israeli airstrikes in Dahieh, a predominantly Shiite suburb of south Beirut, Lebanon, on Tuesday, Nov. 5 2024. (Daniel Berehulak /The New York Times)
2 hours ago

Israeli Strikes Target Syria for a Second Day in a Row

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks as former first lady Melania Trump listens after they voted on Election Day at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
2 hours ago

Trump Snaps at Reporter When Asked About Abortion: ‘Stop Talking About That’

3 hours ago

Soria Stumps Outside Polling Place. Was it Legal?

3 hours ago

These California Toss-Ups May Decide Which Party Controls Congress

Residents vote early in Dearborn, Mich., Nov. 3, 2024. Like in 2020, the vote count will still feature “blue mirages” or “red mirages,” in which one candidate builds a fleeting lead simply because mail or Election Day ballots are counted first. (Nick Hagen/The New York Times)
4 hours ago

What We’ll Know and When We’ll Know It: A Guide to Election Night

4 hours ago

Democratic Mayors in San Francisco and Oakland Fight to Keep Their Jobs on Election Day

Search

Send this to a friend