MAP RESEARCH
New Report: Now is the time for the Equality Act
Over the past four years, we’ve witnessed a rise in discrimination and acts of violence directed towards those most marginalized in society. However, with the new Biden administration comes a renewed commitment to the work of civil rights in the United States. At this critical moment, Congress has the opportunity to recommit our country and our elected officials in securing fairness and equality for all by passing the Equality Act.
A new report released today, Why We All Need the Equality Act Now, outlines the ways in which the Equality Act is vital legislation not just for LGBTQ people, but also for women, people of color, and immigrants.
Why We All Need the Equality Act Now highlights the urgency of adding such protections now — especially given the number of public places in which people of color experience discrimination, such as in retail shops and taxi cabs. Authored by the Movement Advancement Project, the report is released in partnership with the Center for American Progress, Lawyers for Civil Rights, National Center for Transgender Equality, National Partnership for Women and Families, and National Women’s Law Center.
The Equality Act would add new comprehensive and explicit protections to federal law for LGBTQ people, but it would also add and expand legal protections for women, people of color, and many other communities. The Equality Act would update existing civil rights law by filling critical gaps in public accommodation nondiscrimination law for everyone. It would also add nondiscrimination protections for women and LGBTQ people in public spaces and federally funded programs. At a moment when our nation requires strong leadership in improving and enforcing our nondiscrimination laws and an explicit recommitment to greater respect and inclusion, there is no better time than now to pass the Equality Act.
