WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement after the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that LGBTQ workers are protected by the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits sex discrimination in employment:
“No one should ever face discrimination because of who they are or who they love. By ruling that LGBTQ+ Americans have equal protections in the workplace and cannot be discriminated against because of their gender identity or sexual orientation, today’s Supreme Court decision has moved us one step forward on the path to true equality. Though our work is far from over, today’s decision has given us another reason to celebrate our truest, most authentic selves during Pride Month. Now, let’s continue this momentum by passing the Equality Act to enshrine critical civil rights protections for all LGBTQ Americans in federal law.”
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Last year, Duckworth helped re-introduce comprehensive bipartisan legislation to ban discrimination against LGBTQ Americans. The Equality Act of 2019 amends existing federal civil rights laws to explicitly include protections against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. While a number of states, including Illinois, have taken steps to protect LGBTQ individuals from discrimination, the majority of states still lack explicit LGBTQ non-discrimination laws. The Equality Act would ensure that all LGBTQ Americans are protected from discriminatory acts like being fired, evicted, or denied services based on who they are.
