{"id":354814,"date":"2023-04-03T15:35:34","date_gmt":"2023-04-03T20:35:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/lgbtq-law\/the-equality-act.html"},"modified":"2026-06-02T16:34:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T21:34:00","slug":"the-equality-act","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/lgbtq-law\/the-equality-act.html","title":{"rendered":"The Equality Act"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Equality Act<\/h1>\n\n
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\n By Vaishali Gaur, Esq.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Laura Temme, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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The Equality Act is a proposed law that would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expand civil rights protections that currently only apply to employment settings. However, the Equality Act is not law at this time\u2014it remains proposed legislation.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n

On February 24, 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Equality Act, a bill that would ban discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity.<\/p>\n

But the Equality Act has not been enacted into law. This means none of the expanded protections it proposes are currently in effect. This article provides a short overview of the Equality Act and how it could change the future for LGBTQ+ Americans.<\/p>\n

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You can also talk to a civil rights attorney<\/a> near you for up-to-date legal advice. They can help you understand how current federal and state laws protect LGBTQ+ communities today, even while the Equality Act remains stalled in Congress.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

History of the Equality Act<\/b><\/h2>\n

On March 13, 2019, the House introduced the Equality Act<\/a> to provide federal protections for the LGBTQ+ community and women. The bill had been introduced by lawmakers twice prior and died in committee both times before finally passing in the House in 2019 with a 236 to 173 vote, with 8 Republican votes in favor. However, a 2021 version of the bill was written after the landmark 2020 Bostock v. Clayton County<\/i><\/a> <\/i>U.S. Supreme Court ruling.<\/p>\n

On June 15, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court found in Bostock <\/i>that employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is a type of discrimination on the basis of sex under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964<\/a> and is therefore prohibited.<\/p>\n

Following Bostock,<\/i> President Biden signed Executive Order 13988 on his first day in office on January 20, 2021. The order directed all federal agencies to review existing laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex to determine whether they prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and\/or gender identity under sex discrimination.<\/p>\n

On February 18, 2021, the Equality Act was reintroduced in the House, adding key points from\u00a0Bostock\u00a0<\/em>and expanding<\/span>\u00a0those rights for LGBTQ+ people. On February 25, 2021, the Equality Act passed in the House with a close vote of 224 to 206, with only 3 Republicans voting in favor.<\/p>\n

What Is the Equality Act?<\/b><\/h2>\n

The Equality Act is a landmark piece of legislation that would provide civil rights protections to LGBTQ+ people across the nation.<\/p>\n

Among other things, the Equality Act would:<\/p>\n