Dear John,

I recently re-introduced the Equality Act this Congress, which would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to extend non-discrimination protections to the LGBTQ+ community. This landmark legislation would explicitly prohibit discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation in employment, education, access to credit, jury service, federal funding housing, and public accommodations.

The promise of democracy means a great deal to me personally because I have felt the sting of its denial. As the first openly gay person of color to serve in Congress, I am acutely aware of the impacts lawful discrimination has on our marginalized communities in the United States, and the LGBTQI+ community have been subject to discrimination, violence, and the denial of their full personhood under the law for far too long.

The LGBTQI+ community is one of the only marginalized groups remaining without explicit federal civil rights protections. Equality shouldn’t depend on your zip code, but not all states offer the same protections against discrimination, and vulnerable members of our community such as trans people and queer people of color are especially impacted by these disparities.

I am proud to reintroduce the Equality Act as a long-overdue guarantee to all members of our community that we, too, benefit from explicit civil rights protections and the full promise of American democracy.

Sincerely,

Mark Takano

Member of Congress