Nancy Pelosi To Make Passage Of LGBT “Equality Act” A Top Priority If Democrats Regain Control Of The House

Chris Johnson reports at the Washington Blade:

With expectations of a “blue” wave in the congressional mid-terms and good chances Democrats will retake control of the U.S. House, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has signaled that comprehensive LGBT non-discrimination legislation will be a top priority if she becomes speaker.

Speaking at an event Tuesday at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Pelosi identified the Equality Act as a personal goal in wide-ranging remarks about her plans for the next Congress.

“It isn’t in our ‘For The People’ agenda because it doesn’t get that specific, but there’s one more because it’s personal for me that I really want to do, and it’s called the Equality Act,” Pelosi said. “The Equality Act expands ending discrimination against LGBTQ people and women and adding that to the Civil Rights Act.”

Considered by some to be the Holy Grail of LGBT civil rights, the Equality Act would ban anti-LGBT discrimination in employment, housing, education, public accommodations, and several other areas. As of today Rep. David Cicilline’s bill has 198 co-sponsors. Two are Republicans: Scott Taylor of Virginia and Illeana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida.