Committee on the Judiciary
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator:
On behalf of our 3 million members, who teach and nurture a diversity of students in communities across America, we submit for Wednesday’s hearing these comments for the record supporting the Equality Act, S. 393. In addition to our comments, we will be submitting testimony on behalf of the bill.
NEA members believe that LGBTQ citizens must be safe from all forms of discrimination. The Equality Act supports this goal by:
- Explicitly providing consistent non-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity through amending federal laws such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Fair Housing Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, and the Jury Act.
- Expanding discrimination protections to cover federally funded programs, as well as public accommodations.
- Giving LGBTQ educators a greater sense of security in their own schools, which will enable them to help LGBTQ students—who are bullied and harassed more often than other students—experience greater security.
Most states lack non-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation and gender identity. This patchwork of laws makes LGBTQ citizens vulnerable to discrimination and sends the message that they are second-class citizens. The Equality Act is crucial in changing this status quo.
Discrimination against LGBTQ citizens violates our core American values of equality and fairness. The Equality Act is an important step in our nation’s continuing march toward fairness for all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, and we urge you to support it.
Sincerely,
Marc Egan
Director of Government Relations
National Education Association
