Biden for Equality Act Would be Huge for Queer Folks

The Senate passed an enormous infrastructure spending bill of $1 trillion, and President Joe Biden celebrated this W by speaking with reporters after an event at the White House. Biden will be looking for this sort of bipartisan support to reflect parallel to the Equality Act.

The Equality Act, once implemented, would be a landmark in civil rights legislation. It would ensure LGBTQ community members full protection. However, republicans have other plans in mind and vowed to filibuster the measure to ensure it doesn’t pass. 

Biden’s Infrastructure plan was once seen as dead in the waters and had risen once again due to partially negotiated deal. Senator Kyrsten Sinema was able to persuade the republicans to get on board with the idea. This was after months of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg promoting the plan. 

“I was just reading about 50 statements from very serious press people about how my whole plan was dead from the beginning,” Biden continues. “And I think the lesson learned is exposing people to other views. And so, that’s why from the beginning, on all the subjects you raised, I’ve sat with people and listened to their positions, some in agreement with where I am and some in disagreement. And so, I think it’s a matter of listening; it’s part of democracy.”

For the Equality Act to escape being killed by a filibuster, which is a definite fear, it would need to leap and clear the hurdle of 60 Senate votes. The house could pass the bill very quickly with just three votes from republicans. It would evenly divide the Senate causing 10 republicans to sign the bill. The Biden administration called this a top priority. Although, the odds of getting that many republicans to pass the Equality Act remain low, but not zero, giving the LGBTQ community a glimpse of hope for change.