Senator Susan Collins of Maine is the only US senator to sign on as a sponsor of the comprehensive LGBT nondiscrimination Equality Act of 2019, introduced yesterday. Collins signed on as the lead GOP sponsor of the bill.
Collins said she’s worked throughout her career to end discrimination and that “all Americans deserve a fair opportunity to pursue the American dream,” according to an AP report today.
“It is time we ensure that all people are judged on their talents and abilities, and have full access to the services they need and the opportunities they seek. This bill marks the beginning of that process, and I urge my colleagues to join me as we take steps to build bipartisan consensus around the Equality Act,” Collins wrote in a statement issued from her office.
The Equality Act amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Fair Housing Act to include LGBT people in protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identification in employment, housing, jury duty, education, credit, federal programs and public accommodations—from retail stories and transportation to hotel stays and health care services.
With the Maine Human Rights Act amended in 2005 to include LGBT protections, Collins’ state is one that already has similar protections in place. The Equality Act would ensure these basic human rights for everyone in the country.
Collins pointed to her long record of supporting LGBT rights, from an early call to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the federal policy to allow only closeted LGBT people to serve in the military, to advocacy for the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
Democratic Senators Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Cory Booker of New Jersey, and Jeff Merkley of Oregon sponsored the bill in the Senate.
Over in the House, the bill was introduced by Rhode Island Rep. David Cicilline, the most senior openly gay member of the House and cochair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus. Cicilline has been working on promoting this legislation for the past few years; the Republican-led House never allowed it to come to a vote on the floor, but now that the Democrats hold the majority, the bill is likely to receive its long-awaited vote. Newly elected New Hampshire Rep. Chris Pappas, recently appointed an LGBT Equality Caucus cochair, is also sponsoring the bill. The sole Republican in the House to sign onto the bill is Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania.
