WASHINGTON, DC – On Friday Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) voted to pass H.R. 5, the Equality Act, which includes sweeping changes to end discrimination against LGBTQ Americans in education, employment, housing, and other public accommodations.

With the current patchwork of state laws, LGBTQ individuals in America still risk being fired, evicted or denied service because of who they are.

This bill amends the Civil Rights Act to specifically prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

“For far too long, our nation’s full promise of equality has not been available to LGBTQ individuals, who cannot access the same rights as their friends and neighbors just because of who they are and whom they love. In more than 25 states, they could be denied service at a restaurant, barred from buying a home, or fired from their job because of who they are and without any recourse under the law. This is unacceptable and it’s exactly why the Equality Act has been widely endorsed by major organizations such as the California Association of Realtors, the AFL-CIO, the American Medical Association, and the NAACP,” said Thompson.

He added, “Today we took a big step toward fuller equality. I was proud to vote for this bill to prohibit discrimination against our LGBTQ community. Today we simply say that LGBTQ individuals deserve the same treatment under the law as anyone else – equal protection and freedom from discrimination.”

H.R. 5 now heads to the Senate for consideration and you can click here to learn more about this bill.