Duckworth Helps Introduce Legislation to Prevent Discrimination of LGBT Americans

Statement

Today, Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth (IL-08) joined Congressman David Cicilline (RI-01) to introduce the Equality Act, legislation to ban discrimination against LGBT individuals in public accommodations, housing, employment, and many other areas.

"It is crucial that we build upon the victories we saw for LGBT Americans last month in the Supreme Court," said Duckworth. "While LGBT Americans gained the right to marry, it is still unacceptable that they can be fired from their job, evicted from their home and discriminated against simply because of who they love. It is time for the entire country to follow the lead of my home State of Illinois and finally enshrine critical civil rights protections for LGBT Americans in federal law."

The bill will amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to make it illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The legislation would apply to public accommodations, federal funding, education, employment, housing, credit and jury service. Illinois is one of only 17 states and the District of Columbia that prohibit discrimination for public accommodations based on sexual orientation or gender identity; one of only four that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, and one of only 14 states and the District of Columbia that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in education.

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