Why we need a federal law to protect LGBTQ rights
As Georgia voters have delivered a clear and resounding message about the future of the U.S. Senate, LGBTQ Americans have renewed hope in the fight for the unmet dream of equality under the law.
State after state, town after town, communities across the United States have advanced basic civil rights protections for LGBTQ Americans. Progress is progress, but a patchwork of civil rights laws is not sufficient to secure equity for a long-marginalized community.
LGBTQ Pennsylvanians are confused and unclear about their rights, and employers and business owners are, too. Having a clear federal law would provide consistency for all 13 million LGBTQ Americans.
A drive to a neighboring town shouldn’t mean someone can be legally subjected to harassment and discrimination. Federal legislation to ensure nationwide protections from discrimination for LGBTQ Americans have failed to become law each year since 1980, when former members of Congress, Ed Koch and Bella Abzug, first proposed it.
Today, the issue, in the form of the Equality Act now before Congress, has broad, bipartisan public support, with 83% of Americans saying they favor LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections, including 68% of Republicans and a majority in every state in the country. An overwhelming percentage of Fortune 500 companies, often fierce opponents of government regulations in employment practices, publicly support the Equality Act because they know that LGBTQ nondiscrimination is good for business.
In the Lehigh Valley, the issue is supported by the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce and Greater Lehigh Valley Realtors. It is rare for industry organizations to support regulations that apply to their industries, but fair-minded Pennsylvanians agree that basic civil rights protections are necessary.
With the election of two pro-equality U.S. senators in Georgia, there is now a clear opportunity to finally pass legislation that protects LGBTQ Americans in all 50 states.
This is a real issue with incredible urgency. According to the 2020 Pennsylvania LGBT Health Needs Assessment, 61.1% of LGBTQ Pennsylvanians say they have experienced discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity in their lifetime.
As the leader of Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center, I frequently hear about issues of discrimination that cause severe harm to LGBTQ Pennsylvanians. Even after the Supreme Court’s opinion in Bostock v. Clayton County, LGBTQ people can still legally be denied housing from landlords, turned away by real estate professionals, denied loans from banks or mortgage companies, and even denied access to public facilities.
In 2021, it’s time to make legal LGBTQ discrimination a story for the history books.
U.S. Sen. Patrick Toomey’s (R-Pa.) public support of a commonsense bipartisan LGBTQ nondiscrimination law like the Equality Act is necessary now more than ever.
Some might question why Sen. Toomey would support a priority issue for Democrats in the Senate, but fairness is not a partisan issue. It’s an American value. The Equality Act has broad and deep support across lines of political party, demographics and geography.
Sen. Toomey is no stranger to these issues. He supported the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” and was part of the bipartisan effort to ban LGBTQ employment discrimination by voting for the Employment Non Discrimination Act.
With new leadership in the White House and the U.S. Senate, now is the time to act. The Equality Act has already passed in the House with bipartisan support. LGBTQ Pennsylvanians are counting on Sen. Toomey’s support for this issue to get it through the Senate.
All across the country, LGBTQ Americans are forced to navigate a patchwork of protections that’s unworkable, unsustainable and unfair.
Millions of LGBTQ people live in the 29 states, like Pennsylvania, that lack comprehensive statewide laws explicitly prohibiting discrimination.
Like all Americans, LGBTQ people deserve to go about our daily lives free from fear of discrimination and harassment, but we can’t without federal laws on the books that protect us. The Equality Act would send the message that LGBTQ people are a valued part of our society, who contribute to our communities, pay taxes, work hard and deserve a shot at the American dream just like anyone else.
Discrimination is still commonplace for LGBTQ Americans. Opponents of LGBTQ equality continue to file discriminatory bills in states across the country in an attempt to undermine existing protections in adoption, marriage and access to basic public services and businesses.
Federal legislation would ensure that all LGBTQ Americans can live, work and access public spaces free from discrimination.
It’s the job of Congress to pass laws that protect all Americans. Our federal lawmakers must show leadership and publicly support a nationwide solution to LGBTQ discrimination.
This is a moment of historic opportunity, and victory has never been closer. Sen. Toomey should make it a priority and affirm his legacy by publicly supporting basic civil rights protections for all.