What Act Does Bottom Become a Human Again
In 2022, many LGBTQIA+ Americans yet don't have basic legal protections. But 22 states (and Washington, D.C.) have explicit non-discrimination laws and policies on the books, which means roughly half of the queer and trans population lives in states that don't protect their rights, jobs or access to housing, credit and education. The result? A patchwork of laws that varies from state to state.
Without a comprehensive — or permanent — federal law in place that protects queer and trans people from discrimination, members of the LGBTQIA+ community will continue to face obstacles that threaten and disrupt their lives. For a long time, queer and trans people, and their allies, accept pushed to make the Equality Act the police of the land.
While the legislation gained some momentum in Congress over the last few years, information technology has stalled, leaving LGBTQIA+ rights hanging in the balance. And so, what'south going on with the Equality Deed, and what tin can yous do about it?
What Is the Equality Deed?
As yous may know, the Civil Rights Human action of 1964 was a landmark slice of legislation that was prepare in place to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual activity, color, race, and national origin. These protections extended to teaching, employment, public accommodations, federally funded programs and, eventually, housing. Put simply, the Equality Act would ameliorate the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in order to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation as well.
Although it's in the news today, the origins of the Equality Act stretch back to 1974 when activist and U.S. Representative Bella Abzug and former New York City mayor Ed Koch brought an anti-bigotry bill to the House of Representatives. But the endeavour to bring sensation to LGBTQIA+ rights and protections didn't make the news. In fact, "its introduction did not even merit mention in whatever media other than in the Congressional Record," WBUR reports.
Since and then, federal LGBTQIA+ anti-discrimination legislation has been introduced in all but 1 Congressional session. In 1996, it seemed similar federal protections for queer and trans Americans might just become the constabulary of the state, only the Senate failed to laissez passer the proposed neb by a single vote. And that brings u.s. to today.
"On his kickoff day in office, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to protect LGBTQIA+ Americans from discrimination," writes Kate Bove in our previous coverage of the Equality Act. "Although the order marked a milestone in civil rights protections, advocates of the Equality Act want to codify these protections, and those affirmed in the Bostock v. Clayton County ruling, into law; subsequently all, an executive society tin be undone with the stroke of a pen."
This need for federal protections couldn't be greater than it is today. From Florida'southward "Don't Say Gay" legislation to the many, many state laws targeting queer and trans youth and their families, 2022 has seen a tape number of anti-LGBTQIA+ laws, all of which the American Civil Liberties Spousal relationship (ACLU) keeps track of on their site. NPR reports that "[Every bit of April 2022,] at that place have been more than 200 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills introduced in almost xl states" — a truly jaw-dropping amount.
Non only are trans students — and trans people at big — beingness systematically barred from using the restrooms that align with their gender, but trans youth are beingness banned from sports and harassed in schools. In states similar Texas, families of trans kids were targeted for affirming their children; in Alabama, it's now a crime to provide gender-affirming intendance to trans kids.
If passed, the Equality Act would substantially nullify these discriminatory state policies, extending protections to all queer and trans Americans. This would mean protection from discrimination, harrassment and exclusion at work and schoolhouse, when applying for housing, and while in public spaces, amidst other things.
So, What'due south the Next Footstep?
On February 25, 2021, the House passed the Equality, which ways, as of May 2022, the adjacent footstep involves introducing the neb to the Senate so that it can be voted on and, hopefully, passed by those lawmakers, likewise. That's going to be difficult, though; currently, we take a tied senate and many Republicans who oppose the bill. A chunk of those opponents believe the Equality Human activity would borrow upon religious freedom and override the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
What many of those who oppose the bill don't realize is that religious freedom is near allowing people to practice their faith (or lack thereof) free from discrimination. It does not allow Person A to dictate what other people can do — or what freedoms they're immune.
For instance, if Person A is part of a religious denomination that forbids alcohol, they tin can't forbid others from drinking just because they tin't practice so. In this case, if their denomination or church building discriminates against LGBTQIA+ people, their religious freedom still doesn't mean they can adios, fire, not hire, or otherwise discriminate against those exterior their organized religion, church, or denomination.
In short, practicioners can follow their faith without dictating how someone else lives, and they shouldn't be able to cite their faith equally a reason for discriminating against others.
What Can You Practise to Help Garner Support for the Equality Act?
Sure, yous're not the one who turns bills into laws, but that doesn't mean you're powerless. There are plenty of actions you lot tin can have both online and off to help push button the Equality Act closer to becoming the law of the country.
Contact Your Senators
Each state has 2 senators. If you alive in a land where both of your senators support the bill and stated they will sign it, that's cracking! However, you all the same demand to contact them to show that y'all — one of the people they represent — back up it, too.
If you live in a country where one or both of your senators oppose(s) the bill, contacting them to bear witness your support for the bill reiterates where the people they're representing stand on the Equality Act. A ringing telephone is certainly harder to ignore, but yous can always email them if yous're nervous.
Voice Support For the Equality Act Online
The local news doesn't cover everything that'due south happening in the world or even the land, which is why many people don't know that specific bills haven't advanced yet. Voicing your support for the Equality Act online and raising awareness of its current stagnation tin assistance garner public support and involvement. In turn, that can result what lawmakers choose to focus on, too.
Voice Support For Catastrophe Gerrymandering
You may wonder what gerrymandering has to do with the Equality Act, but it impacts legislation and voting in all sorts of means. Gerrymandering is the human activity of manipulating electoral commune boundaries; politicians redraw their legislative commune lines to gain the well-nigh voters in a given surface area. In June of 2019, the Supreme Court announced a five–4 decision, stating that unconstitutional partisan gerrymandering wasn't their business concern equally it presented non-justiciable questions.
Alaska, Delaware, North Dakota, Wyoming, Vermont and South Dakota don't have gerrymandering issues. In 2019, the Senate introduced the Redistricting Reform Deed, which would require a state-established independent commission that would require that any redistricting program have back up from one member of the Democratic, Republican and Libertarian parties.
As of yet, the Redistricting Reform Act has also not passed in the Senate. However, advocating for the Redistricting Reform Human activity can assistance end gerrymandering and, in turn, make sure voters' voices are heard more than truthfully and deservedly.
Vote For Those Who Support the Equality Act
If you lot don't have a senator who supports the bill, discover someone who does and help support and elect them in an upcoming senatorial race. (Yous could fifty-fifty run yourself!)
Even though marriage equality became the law of the land in 2015, LGBTQIA+ people are still denied bones rights and freedoms due to discriminatory policies that target them simply for being themselves. Passing the Equality Human action would ensure the same bones protections at the federal level for all Americans — a much better framework than the current state-by-country patchwork situation today.
Remember that there are many ways to get involved, no affair your by political or organizing experience.
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Source: https://www.ask.com/culture/equality-act-update-2022?utm_content=params%3Ao%3D740004%26ad%3DdirN%26qo%3DserpIndex
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