US House Rep Susan Davis' office issued the following:
Rep. Susan Davis Votes for Historic Equality Act
U.S. Rep. Susan Davis (CA-53) reaffirmed the American
principles of freedom and equality with her vote for the Equality Act
(H.R. 5). This historic legislation says, unequivocally, that LGBTQ
Americans deserve the full protections guaranteed by the landmark Civil
Rights Act of 1964. The Equality Act extends anti-discrimination
protections to LGBTQ Americans with regard to employment, education,
access to credit, jury service, federal funding, housing, and public
accommodations.
"This is truly an historic day in the House of Representatives,” said Rep. Davis, an original cosponsor of the Equality Act.
“Equal treatment under the law is a hallmark of our nation and no
American should ever feel the humiliation of discrimination. The
Equality Act will guarantee that LGBTQ Americans cannot be discriminated
against because of who they are or whom they love."
Despite having the right to marry, fifty percent of the
national LGBTQ population live in states that still have no explicit
non-discrimination protections in other areas of daily life. In most
states, a same-sex couple can get married one day and be legally denied
service at a restaurant, fired from their jobs, or evicted from their
apartment the next.
In some areas, federal law prohibiting sex discrimination
has already been properly interpreted by federal courts and
administrative agencies to include discrimination on the basis of sexual
orientation or gender identity. The Equality Act affirms these
interpretations of existing law and makes the prohibition against
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity
explicit, which provides greater clarity to members of the public,
employers, schools, businesses, and others. In areas where sex
discrimination is not already prohibited, the bill amends existing law
to bar discrimination on the basis of sex, as well as sexual orientation
and gender identity.
The bill also includes Davis’s legislation, the Juror Non-Discrimination Act, to prohibit discrimination against jurors in federal courts on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
The Equality Act has the bipartisan support of Members of Congress, the strong support of the business community, and the overwhelming support of the American people – with more than 7 in 10 supporting the Equality Act.
