NEWS RELEASE: Members of Congress introduce the Equality Act, a fully inclusive anti-discrimination bill

Members of Congress introduce a
fully inclusive anti-discrimination bill

Equality Florida will encourage our
state’s delegation to support it

Congressional Democrats introduced a bill Thursday that would replace the current patchwork of anti-discrimination protections for LGBT Americans with a fully inclusive amendment to the nation’s civil rights laws.

Stratton Pollitzer, Equality Florida’s deputy director, welcomed the news and said the organization would speak with Florida members of Congress over the August recess to encourage their support.

“Many people assume that LGBT people are already protected from discrimination, but it’s not so,” Pollitzer said. “Twenty-eight states, including Florida, have civil rights laws that stop short of covering sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.

“And while slightly more than half of Floridians live in communities with local ordinances to protect them, the other half do not.”

Pollitzer, who is attending a national conference of state LGBT organizations this week, said Equality Florida will work with its national partners to gather support for the new federal bill, called the Equality Act.

“And we will continue to press our own Legislature to approve the Florida Competitive Workforce Act, which would bring security and clarity to people and businesses in all 67 of Florida’s counties.

“LGBT people deserve to live without fear that they could lose their jobs, be denied a place to live or be turned away from a business simply because of who they are,” he said.

“Most Americans support that idea. It’s time for Congress and the Legislature to agree.”