Equality Act

The Equality Act amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to add sexual orientation and gender identity and expression to the laws that make discrimination and segregation illegal in the United States.

That’s right–in 28 states, including Ohio–there are no explicit statewide laws at all protecting people from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in employment, housing and public accommodations.

Specifically, it protects LGBTQ people against discrimination in employment, housing, credit, education, public spaces and services, federally funded programs, and jury service.

Equality Ohio is working with national partners, like Human Rights Campaign and the ACLU, to advocate for the passage of the Equality Act, which was introduced with bipartisan support in both the US House of Representatives and the US Senate. It passed the House in February of 2021, and is now pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee, which held a hearing in March.