House passes the Equality Act; APA calls for swift action in the Senate

APA applauds passage of the Equality Act (H.R. 5) in the House of Representatives. The bill now moves to the Senate where its chances of passage have improved but remain uncertain.

Date created: March 10, 2021 1 min read

On February 25, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Equality Act (PDF, 317KB), comprehensive civil rights legislation that prohibits discrimination against members of the LGBTQ community in the areas of employment, education, credit, jury service, federal funding, housing, and public accommodations. In addition, the Equality Act fills critical gaps in federal antidiscrimination laws for all Americans.

Nearly 70% of Americans support nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people. More than 250 social justice, child welfare, religious, and medical organizations have signed on to support the Equality Act.

APA adopted multiple research-based policy statements supporting the rights of gay, lesbian, transgender, and nonbinary people, including a 2020 resolution that promotes federal legislation protecting against discriminatory treatment (PDF, 128KB) of these individuals. APA strongly supports the bill and will continue to urge the Senate to swiftly pass it for President Biden’s signature.

For more information, contact Leo Rennie, MPA.