As the law currently reads, not all Americans are guaranteed basic rights against discrimination.
While some cities and states have created their own anti-discrimination safeguards for LBGTQ people, some governments still allow businesses and organizations to turn individuals away simply because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Injustices have taken place for decades due to the lack of protections, but important steps towards fixing the issues are currently moving forward.
This past Thursday, the House of Representatives voted 224-206 to pass the Equality Act. Should the bill pass in the Senate, it would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to extend protections to people based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.
Last June, the Supreme Court came to a landmark 6-3 decision in Bostock v. Clayton that determined discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity was unconstitutional under the “sex” provision in the Civil Rights Act.
The Equality Act would require that all 50 states guarantee LBGTQ people protections on employment, housing, loan applications, education, public accommodations and more.
Contrary to the beliefs of some politicians, those in the LGBTQ community wouldn’t be gaining additional rights — they’d just be guaranteed their Constitutional rights.
Additionally, a majority of Americans feel that LGBTQ persons should have nondiscriminatory protections.
In a 2020 study done by the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute, the nonprofit found that more than 83% of Americans favored laws protecting gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people against discrimination.
Columbus has been a leader in the state as it pertains to such issues in recent years. In 2015, the city added human rights protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents as part of its human rights ordinances in 2015.
Unfortunately, Indiana as a whole has not followed the example of Columbus, as it is one of 27 states without statutory protections against LBGTQ persons, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
The biggest concern for opponents of the bill is that religious freedoms will be at risk. While those concerns are valid, those protections have been affirmed for years through the Constitution.
Our position has not changed since an editorial supporting the inclusion and expansion of LBGTQ rights was published in 2016. Congress needs to do the right thing and ensure liberty and justice for all by passing the legislation.
