On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed a bill that extends civil rights protections to members of the LGBTQ community.
What We Know:
- The bill aims to stop discrimination against people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. The majority of House Republicans are against the bill and may stop it in the Senate unless changes are made. The legislation passed 224 to 206 in favor of the bill. The Equality Act, as it is known, has been passed by the House of Representatives twice now. On the other hand, Republicans express concern that the act is dangerous.
- In June, the Supreme Court ruled that the 1964 Civil Rights Law protects gay and transgender people from workplace discrimination but this did not include everyone in public and private spaces. This bill is also an effort to water down the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act which is what most Republicans had concerns over. They felt as if the bill infringed on their religious freedom which the Religious Freedom Restoration Act aimed to uphold.
- The majority of House Republicans attacked transgender people specifically. Republican Senator Rand Paul made transphobic comments aimed at the nominee for Assistant Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine, who is transgender. Paul asked Levine if she supported “gender reassignment surgery and hormone therapy for minors”. Levine professionally answered that she would be glad to inform Paul and his team about transgender medicine if she was appointed Assistant Secretary of Health.
- Eventually, the issue bled into a back and forth between House Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and Congresswoman Marie Newman on Twitter. Newman, whose daughter is transgender, put up a transgender flag in front of her office so Greene could “look at it every time she opens her door”. Greene responded with her own video message for Newman. She put up a sign that said “There are TWO genders: MALE and FEMALE. Trust The Science!”
Ten Republicans need to join Democrats to get to the 60 vote threshold in the Senate. This is unlikely at this time without some revisions to the bill.
