CHRISTIAN POST/ Samuel Smith-
he Democrat-controlled U.S. House of Representatives passed the Equality Act Friday afternoon, hotly-debated legislation seeking to codify LGBT non-discrimination protections into federal law.
H.R. 5 passed by a vote of 236-173. The bill would expand the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to also ban discrimination on the basis of “sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition” in housing, public accommodations and hiring.
The bill was first introduced in 2015 but never passed in the Republican-controlled House. However, it is unlikely to be voted on in the Republican-controlled Senate.
But LGBT advocates and supporters consider the bill’s passage in the House historic and a sign of progress because it is the first time a comprehensive LGBT civil rights bill has come to the floor in Congress
“To bring our nation closer to the founding promise of liberty and justice for all, we, today, pass the Equality Act and finally, fully end discrimination against LGBTQ Americans,” Democrat Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said on the House floor. Continue reading…
