Quigley Co-sponsors the Bicameral, Bipartisan Equality Act

WASHINGTON — This week, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), vice chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus, joined colleagues in introducing the bipartisan H.R. 5 Equality Act, a bicameral bill to prohibit LGBT discrimination related to employment, education, access to credit, jury service, federal funding, housing, and public accommodations.

"Everybody, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, deserves equal treatment under the law," said Rep. Quigley,vice chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus. "The Equality Act offers the comprehensive protections that LGBT Americans should never have been denied in the first place. The LGBT community is entitled to the same civil rights as any other community, and this legislation helps to ensure that we fully live up to our country's promise of equality and fairness for all."

National surveys of LGBT people show that 42% of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people, and 78% of transgender people, have experienced discrimination or harassment at the workplace. The Equality Act is a comprehensive anti-discrimination package that would protect LGBT individuals in several areas. Currently, only 21 states have laws prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Additionally, only 20 states have laws prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity in these same areas.

Rep. Quigley is committed to the fair and equal treatment of LGBT people. In January, he led a letter to Secretary Carson of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to address the agency's failure to meet the deadline for review of crucial LGBT nondiscrimination guidance documents.

On Wednesday, Rep. Quigley tweeted about his co-sponsorship of the Equality Act.

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