More Than 250 Advocates Meet with Congress to Push for the Equality Act

WASHINGTON - March 24, 2021 - Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) - the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, held its annual spring Lobby Day, joining hundreds of HRC members and volunteers on Capitol Hill to meet with members of Congress. This spring, over 257 participants from 33 states, including Washington, D.C., will participate in over 160 meetings with their lawmakers to advocate for the Equality Act and other issues critically important to the LGBTQ community.

"Today, advocates from across the nation will show their legislators the tremendous grassroots energy in support of the Equality Act," said Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David. "For far too long, LGBTQ people have been subject to legal discrimination, and today, legislators will hear the personal stories of their own constituents about how that discrimination has impacted them, their families and their ability to achieve the American dream. The time to pass the Equality Act is well overdue, it's time for the Senate to listen to the overwhelming opinions of their constituents, major corporations and civil rights leaders who want and will continue to advocate for action to make the Equality Act the law of the land."

Participants met with both members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate to urge Congress to take action to enact the Equality Act- federal legislation that would guarantee explicit, permanent protections for LGBTQ people under our nation's existing civil rights laws in vital areas of life such as housing, access to public spaces, credit, education, jury service and federally-funded programs. The legislation would also add needed protections for women, people of color, and people of faith. Other issues scheduled for discussion include:

• Supporting the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to strengthen our electoral system and ensure the equal vote of all of our citizens. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would restore and modernize the protections from the Voting Rights Act of 1965, providing new tools to prevent voter suppression, and ensure that election law changes are transparent.
• Supporting legislation to combat so called "conversion therapy," including the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act and the Prohibition on Medicaid Funding for Conversion Therapy Act. These bills would classify the provision of conversion therapy for monetary compensation as fraud and prohibit Medicaid funds from being used for conversion therapy, respectively.

HRC's Lobby Day is a critical cornerstone of the organization's federal advocacy efforts in Washington. HRC's staff work throughout the year to win support for pro-LGBTQ legislation, at all levels of government. This work is complemented by the over 3 million HRC members and volunteers who were able to talk to and influence their representatives, both on Lobby Day and throughout the year. This critical constituent feedback can help convince members of Congress to take a powerful stance on LGBTQ issues, and advocate for their constituents.

In May 2019 and February 2021, the Equality Act (H.R. 5) passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan votes. The Equality Act continues to enjoy overwhelming support (70%) from the American public, spanning across demographic and partisan groups, including across all ages, races, religions, and political parties. According to polls analyzed by FiveThirtyEight, President Biden's most popular executive order thus far was his order prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity earning 83% in support. Currently, only twenty-two states and more than 125 cities have adopted common-sense, inclusive and comprehensive protections for LGBTQ people.

The Equality Act also enjoys the support of nearly 400 major corporations who have joined HRC's Business Coalition for the Equality Act. While the overwhelming majority of America's leading businesses have already started addressing workplace fairness for LGBTQ employees, these major employers know how important the need is for a federal standard that treats all employees the same no matter which state they live in. The slate of companies endorsing the Equality Act have combined operations in all 50 states, headquarters spanning 33 states, and collectively generate $5.7 trillion in revenue. In total, these companies employ more than 12.4 million people across the United States.

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.