SARASOTA – “We shouldn’t need, an active government to tell everyone to be fair and decent to everybody, but we do,” said Sarasota County Resident, Michael Edwards.
The house has once again passed “The Equality Act” which would expand federal Civil Rights laws to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, credit, education, public spaces, federal funding, and jury service.
“If you really want to treat people badly, the law will not be on your side, the law is not going to be on your side, if you want to deny housing to people, if you don’t want to get them equal access to healthcare, if you don’t want to make sure education is open to them, if you want to deny housing, the law is not going to be on your side for that,” said Edwards.
The same act passed the Democratic controlled house in 2019, but stalled in the Republican controlled Senate. Some say, they are cautiously optimistic
“I’ve seen over decades, this slow march towards equality, if this doesn’t go through, please take this as a step in the right direction and if we don’t get it this time, it’s even more important to get active, get involved in shaping the laws of our country going forward so that we have equality across the board,” said Manatee County resident, Daniel Milks.
“We’ve been here before. But this year we have a pro-equality majority in both the House and the Senate and we have a president who is pro-equality and is prepared to sign this bill,” said Sen. Tammy Baldwin, (D) of Wisconsin.
The bill is supported by organizations ranging from the US Chamber of Commerce to the ACLU.
