The House of Representatives on Friday passed the Equality Act, which would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. In hailing its passage, 236 votes to 173 (only 6 Republicans voting for it), the Human Rights Campaign said the Act was “the first time a chamber of Congress has approved a comprehensive LGBTQ civil rights bill that would finally provide clear, nationwide protections for LGBTQ people throughout daily life.” However, the Equality Act, which would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to include protections for LGBT individuals, is unlikely to get a vote in the Republican-controlled Senate. The Trump administration has also signaled its opposition to it.
