ACLU and One Colorado to Host Discussion About The Equality Act

One Colorado and The ACLU of Colorado teamed up to host a town hall discussion on April 28. The discussion will provide information to attendees about the The Equality Act, a federal bill that would give LGBTQ Americans anit-discrimination protections. The discussion will also cover filibuster reform, and why it is important to pass protections for minority communities.

The virtual meeting comes as a response to the slate of anti-LGBTQ bills that have been appearing in state legislatures all over the country.

“While we live in a state where LGBTQ Coloradans are protected from discrimination under law, our friends and loved ones in other states remain under attack. We need to move beyond this patchwork policy and pass explicit and consistent non-discrimination protections for all LGBTQ people.” Jessican Zender from One Colorado said.

The Equality Act is a federal bill that would prohibit discrimination based on sex, gender identity and sexuality in housing, employment and education. The bill is seen as a much needed step towards ensuring the rights of LGBTQ citizens, and a majority of the country supports the bill’s passage. However, it has been politically fraught. Although it has passed the House of Representatives, it faces an uncertain future in the Senate.

The debate over the passage of it has laid bare the homophobia and transphobia that remains present in current politics. During the discussion of the bill in the House of Representatives, Majorie Taylor Greene attacked trans people, claiming that their existence went against “science,” a popular talking point by Republicans that has repeatedly been shown to be false.

Filibuster reform is one of the most hotly debated issues in politics right now. With the filibuster fully intact, the passage of certain laws requires sixty votes in the Senate, rather than a simple majority. Currently, for the Equality bill to pass, ten Republicans would need to support it in the Senate, a number that doesn’t seem likely. However, many Democrats have called to reform the filibuster so that the passage of landmark legislation like The Equality Act would only require a simple majority.

You can register to join the discussion here.