According to recent polls released from Gallup, the majority of Americans are in favor of new civil rights protections for the LGBTQ community. Specifically, 53 percent of Americans believe that new laws are needed for LGBTQ people, up 2 percent from 2017. Furthermore, the overwhelming majority of Americans believe the LGBTQ community should have equal employment rights, with 93 percent holding this opinion.
The poll’s release is very timely, as it was published roughly one month after the House of Representatives passed the Equality Act. The Equality Act includes various protections for the LGBTQ community and would provide non-discrimination protections in fundamental areas of life including employment, housing, education, and many more. If adopted by the Senate, the Act would restructure existing civil rights laws to specifically include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected characteristics—a massive step forward in ensuring equality for the LGBTQ community.
When the Equality Act was originally created in 2015, the only companies that publicly expressed support for the legislation were Apple, The Dow Chemical Company, and Levi Strauss & Co. The bill has gained extraordinary momentum since then, and 161 companies have joined the Business Coalition for the Equality Act, a group of U.S. employers leading the drive for anti-discrimination for the LGBTQ community in the workplace and other areas of life.
According to the Human Rights Campaign, almost half of LGBTQ Americans currently live in the 30 states that fail to provide statewide legal protection for LGBTQ people. This is troublesome because it leaves them potentially vulnerable to unfair treatment and discrimination. The Equality Act still has a long way to go before it officially becomes law, but the trends of increasing support for the LGBTQ community is a step in the right direction.
If you or someone you know has suffered from adverse effects at work, a workplace discrimination attorney may be able to assist you. At the Spiggle Law Firm, our attorneys are experienced with this type of litigation and could help you pursue the compensation you deserve.
