Urge Your U.S. Representative to Vote YES on Equality Act – HR 5

By MUUSJN on Wednesday, May 15th, 2019

Call Your U.S. Representative 

Urge To Vote YES on the Equality Act Vote Expected this Friday
Click HERE for List of Michigan U.S. Representatives (includes phone numbers & mailing addresses) 
Click HERE to find YOUR U.S. Representative

BACKGROUND 

This year Rep. David Cecilline (D-Rhode Island) re-introduced The Equality Act (HR 5), a bill that would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Fair Housing Act to prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ people based on housing, employment, public accommodations, jury service, federal funding and education. This bill was recently adopted by the House Judiciary Committee on a 22-10 vote to advance it to the full House. All democrats voted for the bill; all republicans voted against it.  This bill has 240 co-sponsors, enough to get adopted in the House.  Senator Jeff Merkley has also introduced the bill in the Senate. The more support this bill gets from the public, the more likely it will be to get adopted in the U.S. Senate.  Despite significant advances, LGBTQ people across the country remain vulnerable to discrimination a daily basis and have too little recourse. Millions of LGBTQ Americans have the right to marry, but no explicit non-discrimination protections in other areas of daily life. The Equality Act extends to the LGBTQ community the same protections already available to other Americans. The Trump administration this week declared its opposition to The Equality Act after bowing to pressure from conservative organizations such as the Family Research Council, March for Life and Heritage Action. Conservatives argue this Act would violate the “religious freedom” of people of faith. 

MUUSJN, a religious based organization, in alliance with other faith groups and with allies in women’s and LGBTQ justice movements, strongly DISAGREES. Our religion calls us to show respect for the dignity of ALL people. Religion should not be used an excuse to discriminate against women and people from LGBTQ communities. 

Even though some conservatives will oppose this legislation, this is a moral teaching moment to let policy makers know where the majority of Americans stand on this issue.  A recent Quinnipeac poll (April 26-29, 2019) indicated that 92% of Americans “don’t think an employer should be allowed to fire someone based on their sexual orientation or sexual identify”.  Furthermore, that poll showed that 70% of Americans are “open to electing a gay president”. 

TALKING POINTS:

  1. All people deserve to be treated with respect and dignity;  
  2. Discrimination against any person violates our core American values; 
  3. The Equality Act (HR 5) is a comprehensive civil rights bill that prohibits discrimination in housing, employment, public accommodations and in education;
  4. Vote YES on the Equality Act (HR 5).

Thank you for taking action!

Category: News | Tags: , , , , ,