U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) have joined 38 of their Senate colleagues and 158 House members to introduce historic, comprehensive federal legislation to ban discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans.
In Virginia, it is currently legal to fire, not hire, deny service or evict someone on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
The Equality Act of 2015 would prohibit such discrimination nationwide by adding sex, sexual orientation and gender identity to other protected classes, such as race or religion, in existing federal civil rights laws. The bill would ban discrimination in a host of areas, including employment, housing, public accommodations, jury service, access to credit, and federal funding.
Having worked alongside gay and lesbian employees in the workplace in the past and come to value their contributions, I think it is time that we end this sort of workplace and civic discrimination. I agree with Warner and Kaine on this issue.
– Gregory K. Glassner, Editor