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A2 UP FRONT
Saturday 18 May 2019

House approves sweeping bill to expand gay rights

Continued from Front

The vote was 236-173, with
every Democrat voting
in favor, along with eight
Republicans. Cheers and
applause broke out on
the House floor as the bill
crossed the threshold for
passage.
The legislation’s chief spon-
sor, Rep. David Cicilline, D-
R.I., said it affirms fairness
and equality as core Amer-
ican values “and ensures
members of the LGBTQ
community can live their
lives free from the fear of
legal discrimination of any
kind.”
Cicilline, who is gay, called
equal treatment under the
law a founding principle of
the United States, adding
“It’s absurd that, in 2019,
members of the LGBTQ
community can be fired
from their jobs, denied ser-
vice in a restaurant or get
thrown out of their apart-
ment because of their sex-
ual orientation or gender Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chairs Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., left, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., update reporters
identify.” on progressive priorities just after passage of The Equality Act of 2019, sweeping anti-discrimination legislation that would extend
Most Republicans oppose civil rights protections to LGBT people by prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, at the Capitol in
the bill and call it another Washington, Friday, May 17, 2019.
example of government Associated Press
overreach. Several GOP lawmakers spoke against it Friday on the House floor. chamber. and said it could cause
President Donald Trump is A Trump administration of- Catholic schools to lose
widely expected to veto ficial who asked not be federal grants for school
the legislation if it reaches identified, because he was lunches or require faith-
his desk. not authorized to speak based adoption agen-
At a news conference publicly about the presi- cies to place children with
Thursday, the Republicans dent’s intentions, said the same-sex couples.
said the bill would jeopar- White House “opposes dis- Neena Chaudhry, a lawyer
dize religious freedom by crimination of any kind and for the National Women’s
requiring acceptance of a supports the equal treat- Law Center, said the bill
particular ideology about ment of all. However, this does not undermine Title
sexuality and sexual iden- bill in its current form is filled IX, because courts have
tity. with poison pills that threat- already found that Title IX
Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Mo., en to undermine parental protects against gender-
called the legislation “gross- and conscience rights.” identity discrimination.
ly misnamed” and said it is Some critics also said the “It is way past time to fully
“anything but equalizing.” bill could jeopardize Title open the doors of oppor-
The bill “hijacks” the 1964 IX, the law prohibiting sex tunity for every American,”
Civil Rights Act to create discrimination in federally said Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-
“a brave new world of ‘dis- funded education pro- Ore., one of the Senate
crimination’ based on un- grams. Former tennis star bill’s lead sponsors. “Let’s
defined terms of sexual ori- Martina Navratilova co- pass the Equality Act, and
entation and gender iden- wrote an opinion piece in let us rejoice in the bells
tity,” Hartzler said. The leg- The Washington Post urging of freedom ringing for ev-
islation threatens women’s lawmakers not to “make ery American.” The eight
sports, shelters and schools, the unnecessary and ironic House Republicans who
and could silence female mistake of sacrificing the voted for the bill Friday
athletes, domestic abuse enormously valuable social were Reps. Susan Brooks of
survivors and other women, good that is female sports Indiana, Mario Diaz-Balart
she said. in their effort to secure the of Florida, Brian Fitzpatrick
A similar bill in the Senate rights of transgender wom- of Pennsylvania, Will Hurd
has been co-sponsored by en and girls.” of Texas, Greg Walden of
all but one Senate Demo- Ahead of the vote, Rep. Oregon and New York law-
crat, but faces long odds in Jody Hice, R-Ga., called makers John Katko, Tom
the Republican-controlled the House bill “horrifying” Reed and Elise Stefanik.q