As Anti-Trans Bills Proliferate, We Need Federal Protections

The Equality Act Is Vital In This Moment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 2, 2022

Jennifer Andrew | Equality NC | jennifer@equalitync.org

Nate Fischer | Equality NC | nate@equalitync.org

Raleigh, North Carolina, March 2, 2022 -- Last night, in a momentous and historic first during a State of the Union Address, President Joe Biden called on Congress to pass the Equality Act and restated his support for the most marginalized in the LGBTQ+ community—transgender citizens and especially transgender youth. Equality NC commends the president for his enthusiastic support, and urges the Biden administration and Congress to back up their words with action. We call on our lawmakers to pass the Equality Act now.

"Equality North Carolina stands with President Biden and Vice President Harris is calling for full legal protections for the LGBTQ+ community," said Kendra Johnson, Equality NC Executive Director. "It is well past the time for those protections to be added to the Civil Rights Act to provide the necessary protections against the widespread LGBTQ+ discrimination people continue to face in our states, counties, cities, and our schools. Adding LGBTQ+ protections to the Civil Rights act will finally ensure that all people in North Carolina will be able to live a life free of discrimination. We need federal nondiscrimination protections that protect all Americans no matter where they live."

The president's support for LGBTQ+ Americans, especially for trans youth, comes at a crucial time. The trans community continues to be used by anti-LGBTQ+ politicians as a punching bag just to score political points. Just this week, Texas officials started to investigate parents of transgender adolescents for providing gender-affirming care to their children. The reported investigations were in response to a non-binding legal opinion issued by Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton that defined gender affirming care for transgender youth as child abuse. That is simply untrue and incredibly dangerous. Numerous studies have shown gender affirming care protects trans kids and decreases rates of mental health issues and suicide ideation. Supportive parents should be celebrated, not investigated, for providing gender affirming care for their trans kids.

Support for LGBTQ+ non-discrimination protections has continued to grow, and recent polling has found that the majority of Americans favor laws that would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations.[1] Although the historic Supreme Court decision in Bostock v. Clayton County brought federal protections to LGBTQ+ Americans working for businesses with over fifteen employees, millions remain unprotected from discrimination.

In 2021, Equality NC and our partners worked to pass 16 nondiscrimination ordinances that would provide protections to LGBTQ+ people in towns and counties across North Carolina. [2] A patchwork of protections were passed similarly in other states. It's a good start, but it's not enough. We need comprehensive, federal nondiscrimination protections in housing, employment, healthcare, and in every area of life so all LGBTQ+ individuals are protected no matter where they live.

Last year, the Equality Act passed the U.S. House with bipartisan support. Equality NC stands with President Biden in calling on the Senate to finish the job now. Senators must find a bipartisan path forward to ensure fairness and freedom for all LGBTQ+ Americans. The time is now to pass the Equality Act.

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Equality North Carolina builds LGBTQ+ power through advocacy, education, and uplifting the stories of queer and trans North Carolinians in pursuit of racial and social justice. www.equalitync.org

[1]https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/three-quarters-americans-support-lgbtq-nondiscrimination-laws-n1261777

[2]https://ncisready.org/updates/tuesday-lgbtq-advocates-mark-1-year-anniversary-of-campaign-to-protect-north-carolinians-from-discrimination