How Do I Register For An Act Test
In 2022, many LGBTQIA+ Americans still don't have basic legal protections. Just 22 states (and Washington, D.C.) accept explicit non-bigotry laws and policies on the books, which means roughly half of the queer and trans population lives in states that don't protect their rights, jobs or admission to housing, credit and education. The issue? A patchwork of laws that varies from state to state.
Without a comprehensive — or permanent — federal law in identify that protects queer and trans people from bigotry, members of the LGBTQIA+ community will continue to confront obstacles that threaten and disrupt their lives. For a long time, queer and trans people, and their allies, have pushed to make the Equality Act the law of the land.
While the legislation gained some momentum in Congress over the last few years, it has stalled, leaving LGBTQIA+ rights hanging in the balance. And then, what's going on with the Equality Act, and what tin can you lot do most information technology?
What Is the Equality Human action?
As you may know, the Civil Rights Deed of 1964 was a landmark piece of legislation that was ready in identify to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, color, race, and national origin. These protections extended to educational activity, employment, public accommodations, federally funded programs and, eventually, housing. Put simply, the Equality Act would better the Civil Rights Human action of 1964 in order to prohibit bigotry based on gender identity and sexual orientation likewise.
Although it's in the news today, the origins of the Equality Act stretch back to 1974 when activist and U.S. Representative Bella Abzug and old New York Metropolis mayor Ed Koch brought an anti-discrimination bill to the House of Representatives. But the try to bring sensation to LGBTQIA+ rights and protections didn't make the news. In fact, "its introduction did non even merit mention in any media other than in the Congressional Tape," WBUR reports.
Since then, federal LGBTQIA+ anti-discrimination legislation has been introduced in all merely i Congressional session. In 1996, it seemed similar federal protections for queer and trans Americans might simply become the law of the land, only the Senate failed to pass the proposed neb by a single vote. And that brings us to today.
"On his get-go day in part, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to protect LGBTQIA+ Americans from discrimination," writes Kate Bove in our previous coverage of the Equality Act. "Although the gild marked a milestone in civil rights protections, advocates of the Equality Human activity want to codify these protections, and those affirmed in the Bostock v. Clayton Canton ruling, into law; later on all, an executive club tin be undone with the stroke of a pen."
This need for federal protections couldn't be greater than it is today. From Florida's "Don't Say Gay" legislation to the many, many land laws targeting queer and trans youth and their families, 2022 has seen a record number of anti-LGBTQIA+ laws, all of which the American Ceremonious Liberties Union (ACLU) keeps track of on their site. NPR reports that "[As of April 2022,] there have been more than than 200 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills introduced in virtually twoscore states" — a truly jaw-dropping amount.
Not only are trans students — and trans people at large — existence systematically barred from using the restrooms that align with their gender, but trans youth are being banned from sports and harassed in schools. In states like Texas, families of trans kids were targeted for affirming their children; in Alabama, it's at present a crime to provide gender-affirming care to trans kids.
If passed, the Equality Act would essentially nullify these discriminatory state policies, extending protections to all queer and trans Americans. This would mean protection from bigotry, harrassment and exclusion at work and school, when applying for housing, and while in public spaces, among other things.
Then, What's the Adjacent Step?
On February 25, 2021, the Firm passed the Equality, which means, as of May 2022, the next step involves introducing the bill to the Senate so that information technology can be voted on and, hopefully, passed by those lawmakers, also. That'due south going to be hard, though; currently, nosotros have a tied senate and many Republicans who oppose the pecker. A chunk of those opponents believe the Equality Act would infringe upon religious liberty and override the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
What many of those who oppose the neb don't realize is that religious freedom is about allowing people to practice their faith (or lack thereof) free from discrimination. Information technology does non allow Person A to dictate what other people can practise — or what freedoms they're allowed.
For example, if Person A is function of a religious denomination that forbids alcohol, they tin can't prevent others from drinking but because they can't practise so. In this case, if their denomination or church building discriminates against LGBTQIA+ people, their religious freedom still doesn't hateful they tin can evict, burn down, not rent, or otherwise discriminate against those outside their faith, church building, or denomination.
In short, practicioners can follow their religion without dictating how someone else lives, and they shouldn't be able to cite their religion every bit a reason for discriminating against others.
What Can Yous Practise to Help Garner Support for the Equality Act?
Sure, yous're not the one who turns bills into laws, just that doesn't mean you're powerless. There are plenty of actions you can accept both online and off to help button the Equality Deed closer to becoming the law of the land.
Contact Your Senators
Each state has two senators. If you lot live in a state where both of your senators support the bill and stated they will sign it, that'due south great! Notwithstanding, you still need to contact them to prove that you — 1 of the people they correspond — support it, besides.
If y'all live in a country where i or both of your senators oppose(s) the bill, contacting them to show your support for the neb reiterates where the people they're representing stand on the Equality Human activity. A ringing telephone is certainly harder to ignore, simply you can always email them if you're nervous.
Vocalism Support For the Equality Act Online
The local news doesn't cover everything that'due south happening in the world or fifty-fifty the state, which is why many people don't know that specific bills haven't advanced still. Voicing your back up for the Equality Act online and raising sensation of its current stagnation tin aid garner public support and interest. In turn, that tin effect what lawmakers choose to focus on, too.
Voice Support For Ending Gerrymandering
You lot may wonder what gerrymandering has to do with the Equality Act, but it impacts legislation and voting in all sorts of means. Gerrymandering is the act of manipulating balloter commune boundaries; politicians redraw their legislative commune lines to gain the most voters in a given area. In June of 2019, the Supreme Courtroom announced a five–4 decision, stating that unconstitutional partisan gerrymandering wasn't their business concern as information technology presented non-justiciable questions.
Alaska, Delaware, North Dakota, Wyoming, Vermont and Southward Dakota don't have gerrymandering bug. In 2019, the Senate introduced the Redistricting Reform Act, which would require a land-established contained committee that would require that any redistricting plan have support from one fellow member of the Democratic, Republican and Libertarian parties.
As of yet, the Redistricting Reform Act has also non passed in the Senate. All the same, advocating for the Redistricting Reform Act tin help cease gerrymandering and, in turn, make certain voters' voices are heard more truthfully and equitably.
Vote For Those Who Back up the Equality Deed
If yous don't have a senator who supports the nib, find someone who does and help back up and elect them in an upcoming senatorial race. (You lot could even run yourself!)
Even though marriage equality became the law of the land in 2015, LGBTQIA+ people are yet denied bones rights and freedoms due to discriminatory policies that target them just for being themselves. Passing the Equality Deed would ensure the aforementioned basic protections at the federal level for all Americans — a much improve framework than the current land-by-state patchwork situation today.
Remember that there are many ways to get involved, no thing your by political or organizing experience.
How Do I Register For An Act Test,
Source: https://www.ask.com/culture/equality-act-update-2022?utm_content=params%3Ao%3D740004%26ad%3DdirN%26qo%3DserpIndex
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