ACLU Statement on Passage of the Equality Act in the House of Representatives

WASHINGTON — The American Civil Liberties Union issued the following statements in response to today’s House vote in favor of the Equality Act. The Equality Act, which would codify last year’s decision in Bostock v. Clayton County by adding explicit protections for LGBTQ people throughout federal law. This bill would also update our federal civil rights laws to address modern forms of discrimination, including against all women, people of color, and LGBTQ people in areas such as transportation, retail spaces, and taxpayer-funded programs.

Statement from Ria Tabacco Mar, director of the ACLU Women’s Rights Project:

“Here’s the truth: trans girls are girls, and protecting all girls from discrimination requires protecting girls who are trans. As the ACLU Women’s Rights Project, we know there are many threats to women and to women’s sports, but we can say with confidence that trans women are not among them. The Equality Act closes critical gaps in our civil rights laws that leave us vulnerable to sexual harassment and discrimination. That’s good for all women.”

Statement from ReNika Moore, director of the ACLU’s Racial Justice Project:

“Shopping while Black and flying while Brown are not a crime. It’s past time for our civil rights laws to be updated to say that this type of discrimination is unlawful. We applaud today’s House vote on the Equality Act and urge the Senate to advance this bill. This is about racial justice, this is about gender justice, this is about trans justice. The Equality Act is about all of us.”

The ACLU will be scoring today’s vote in the organization’s congressional scorecard, available online here.