Dec 6, 2019
Equality North Carolina Responds To “Fairness For All Act”
For Immediate Release
December 6, 2019
James Michael Nichols | Equality NC | james@equalitync.org | 919-829-0343
Equality North Carolina
Responds To “Fairness For All Act”
Raleigh – On Friday, Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT) introduced the “Fairness For All Act,” a bill that purports to bridge the gap between LGBTQ rights groups and the conservative, religious right. “Fairness For All” would provide protections for LGBTQ people in housing, education and public accommodations while simultaneously carving out broad exemptions for churches and religious organizations.
“Fairness For All” attempts to provide a more conservative approach to protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity than the Equality Act, which passed the House earlier this year. Right now, nearly seven million LGBTQ people live in one of the 30 states – including in North Carolina – that lack laws explicitly protecting them from discrimination in critical areas of daily life, such as housing, employment and public places.
This morning, Kendra R. Johnson, Executive Director of Equality North Carolina, released the following statement:
“‘Fairness For All’ certainly doesn’t provide the level of comprehensive legislative protections that we seek as a community, but it’s generating a hugely important conversation. The introduction of this bill shows that our community’s efforts to build bridges with Americans from all walks of life are succeeding. We applaud the coalition of political and religious conservatives who have come together to publicly acknowledge -- many for the first time -- that discrimination against LGBTQ people is real and that nationwide nondiscrimination protections are urgently needed. Although we are still evaluating the details of this specific bill, we look forward to working with all supporters of LGBTQ freedom to ensure passage of the strong and enduring protections our community has long sought, which guarantees express nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people from all walks of life, in all areas of life.”
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Equality NC is dedicated to securing equal rights and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) North Carolinians. www.equalitync.org