Equality Act

Key Points

• The bill amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to explicitly ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, public accommodations, education, credit, jury service, and federally funded programs.
• The definition of "public accommodations" is greatly expanded beyond traditional venues to include stores, online retailers, banks, gas stations, health care providers, shelters, food banks, transportation services, and more.
• The bill ensures that transgender individuals can access shared facilities like restrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity, and it defines gender identity broadly as how a person identifies regardless of the sex they were assigned at birth.
• A major provision blocks the use of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) as a legal defense against discrimination claims under the bill's covered titles. This means religious beliefs could not be used to justify turning away LGBTQ customers, tenants, or employees.
• Protections also strengthen rights for pregnant people by requiring that pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions receive treatment no less favorable than other physical conditions across all covered areas.
• The bill covers discrimination based on association and perceived identity, meaning someone could bring a claim even if they are not LGBTQ themselves but are discriminated against because of someone they associate with or because they are perceived to be LGBTQ.