Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-02) voted in favor of H.R. 5, the Equality Act, which passed the House. The bipartisan legislation, which Kuster co-sponsored, will help ensure LGBTQ Americans receive the full protections of federal civil rights laws. The bill extends anti-discrimination protections to LGBTQ Americans in the areas of employment, education, access to credit, jury service, federal funding, housing, and public accommodations.

“No American should be denied housing, a job, education, or the opportunity to apply for federal funding because of who they are or who they love,” said Rep. Kuster. “The Equality Act extends anti-discrimination protections to LGBTQ Americans and ensures that they are guaranteed full federal civil rights protections. I’m proud to once again join my colleagues in supporting this historic legislation, and I will continue working to ensure equal rights and justice for all.”

Although substantial legal progress has been made over the past several years for the LGBTQ community, including marriage equality, many LGBTQ Americans live in states without protections against discrimination in other areas of daily life. The Equality Act amends existing federal civil rights laws to explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in education, employment, housing, credit, federal jury service, public accommodations, and the use of federal funds. 

Specifically, H.R. 5 amends existing federal civil rights laws to create a nationwide standard that explicitly prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity everywhere.  

Congresswoman Kuster has long-advocated in favor of equal rights for every American. In the 116th Congress, she supported H. Res 124, a bipartisan resolution she cosponsored that opposed President Trump’s ban on transgender individuals openly serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. The bill, which passed the House, urged the Department of Defense to not reinstate the ban and instead maintain an inclusive policy allowing qualified transgender Americans to enlist and serve in the military.

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