# data[].attributes.body
The Department of Justice enforces the prohibition of sex discrimination. This includes discrimination in education, employment, housing, and police practices.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Division enforces a number of laws that prohibit various forms of discrimination in areas covering education, employment, housing, police practices, and other Department-funded programs. Although these laws do not explicitly refer to sexual orientation or gender identity, they prohibit sex discrimination, which protects all people ( including LGBTI people) from gender-based discrimination, including discrimination based on a person's nonconformity with stereotypes associated with that person's real or perceived gender.

The Division enforces Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination against students on the basis of sex (among other factors) in public schools, colleges, and universities. The Division, in partnership with the Department of Education, also enforces Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded educational programs and activities. Both laws prohibit discrimination, including harassment, based on gender identity, transgender status, and nonconformity with gender stereotypes.

Employment

The Division enforces Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 against public employers. Title VII prohibits discrimination in the workplace on the basis of sex (among other factors), including gender identity, transgender status, and nonconformity with gender stereotypes, with respect to recruitment, hiring, assignments and promotions, and pay and benefits. It also prohibits gender-based harassment and retaliation for complaining about discrimination. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigates employment discrimination. To file a complaint, contact the EEOC at 1-800-669-4000 or 1-800-669-6820 (TTY).

The Division enforces the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which prohibit discrimination, including sex discrimination, in the sale or rental of housing and in other residential real-estate transactions. To file a housing discrimination complaint, contact the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at 1-800-669-9777 or 1-800-927-9275 (TTY). To file a lending discrimination complaint, call 1-855-411-2372 or 1-855-729-2372 (TTY), or visit the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau's website at consumerfinance.gov/fair-lending.

Police Practices

The Division enforces laws that prohibit discrimination and other misconduct by police. Prohibited practices include, among other things, anti-LGBTI harassment or abuse by police officers and bias in police investigations, including the failure or refusal to investigate certain kinds of crimes or to respond to complaints by LGBTI victims.

The Division has authority under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act to remedy a pattern or practice that deprives people of their constitutional rights in state or local jails and prisons, juvenile detention centers, and other institutions. Examples of constitutional violations include the failure of prison officials to protect LGBTI inmates from violence, the denial of certain kinds of medical treatment to individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria (formerly referred to as Gender Identity Disorder or GID), and unjustified segregation of LGBTI individuals.

The Division enforces the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which criminalizes acts of violence that cause bodily injury (and attempts to do so with a dangerous weapon) when motivated by a person's actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability (including HIV/AIDS). To report a hate crime, contact your local Federal Bureau of Investigation field office, which can be found at fbi.gov/contact-us/field/field-offices.

The Division enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities, including persons with HIV/AIDS (either symptomatic or asymptomatic), in public accommodations ( i.e. private providers of goods and services to the public), employment, transportation, and state and local government services. These protections ensure that those with HIV/AIDS live free from stigma and discrimination. For more information or to file a complaint, visit ada.gov/HIV.

The Division's LGBTI Working Group advises the Division's leadership on legal and policy issues relating to sexual orientation, gender identity, and discrimination based on HIV/AIDS. The group explores how existing civil rights laws might address discrimination experienced by LGBTI individuals and identifies appropriate matters and cases for the Division. The group provides technical and outreach assistance to other Department components, to other federal agencies, and to relevant stakeholders. Finally, the group assists the Department with various diversity and education initiatives.

To contact the Division's LGBTI Working Group, or to report acts of violence or discrimination described in this brochure, send an email to the Division at CRT-LGBTI@usdoj.gov or visit justice.gov/crt/complaint. You also may file complaints with the other agencies mentioned in this brochure that have responsibility for investigating particular claims. For more information, case documents, news, and other resources, including a copy of this brochure, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/about/wg/lgbti/.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Protecting the Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex (LGBTI) Individuals

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The ADA Home Page provides access to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations for businesses and State and local governments, technical assistance materials, ADA Standards for Accessible Design, links to Federal agencies with ADA responsibilities and information, updates on new ADA requirements, streaming video, information about Department of Justice ADA settlement agreements, consent decrees, and enforcement activities and access to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) ADA material

# data[].attributes.body
This website defines what the LGBTQ community is, what each letter stand for and their definitions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
LESBIAN

A woman whose enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction is to other women. Some lesbians may prefer to identify as gay or as gay women.

GAY

The adjective describes people whose enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attractions are to people of the same sex. Sometimes lesbian is the preferred term for women.

BISEXUAL

A person who can form enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attractions to those of the same gender or more than one gender. People may experience this attraction in differing ways and degrees over their lifetime. Bisexual people need not have had specific sexual experiences to be bisexual; they need not have had any sexual experience at all to identify as bisexual.

TRANSGENDER

An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from what is typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. People under the transgender umbrella may describe themselves using one or more of a wide variety of terms- including transgender or nonbinary. Some transgender people are prescribed hormones by their doctors to bring their bodies into alignment with their gender identity. Some undergo surgery as well. But not all transgender people can or will take those steps, and a transgender identity is not dependent upon physical appearance or medical procedures.

QUEER

An adjective used by some people whose sexual orientation is not exclusively heterosexual or straight. This umbrella term includes people who have nonbinary, gender-fluid, or gender nonconforming identities. Once considered a pejorative term, queer has been reclaimed by some LGBTQIA+ people to describe themselves; however, it is not a universally accepted term even within the LGBTQIA+ community.

QUESTIONING

Sometimes, when the Q is seen at the end of LGBT, it can also mean questioning. This term describes someone who is questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity.

INTERSEX

An adjective used to describe a person with one or more innate sex characteristics, including genitals, internal reproductive organs, and chromosomes, that fall outside of traditional conceptions of male or female bodies. Do not confuse having an intersex trait with being transgender. Intersex people are assigned a sex at birth - either male or female - and that decision by medical providers and parents may not match the gender identity of the child. Not all intersex folks identify as being part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

ASEXUAL

The adjective describes a person who does not experience sexual attraction. Sometimes shortened to "ace," it is an umbrella term that can also include people who are demisexual, meaning they do experience some sexual attraction; graysexual, meaning those who may not fit the strictest definition of the word asexual; and aromantic, meaning they experience little to no romantic attraction and/or has little to no desire to form romantic relationships.

NONBINARY

The adjective describes a person whose gender is not male or female and uses many different terms to describe themselves. Other terms include genderqueer , agender , bigender , genderfluid , and more. None of these terms mean exactly the same thing - but all speak to an experience of gender that is not simply male or female.

+ PLUS

The 'plus' is used to signify all of the gender identities and sexual orientations that letters and words cannot yet fully describe.

Find more LGBTQ+ information and resources by visiting our resource center or by giving us a call at 212.620.7310.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
LGBTQIA+ is an abbreviation for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, and more. These terms are used to describe a person's sexual orientation or gender identity.

# data[].attributes.body
AAUW believes everyone should get their Civil Rights and Liberties no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity. In this they speak on equity, security, education, discrimination, and the Equality Act. AAUW advocates for protection for LGBTQ Americans.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
For far too long, the civil rights protections guaranteed to millions of Americans have been denied to those who identify as LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer). No one should be denied the full range of civil rights and liberties due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Such rights and liberties include freedom from discrimination in schools and the workplace, the guarantee of spousal/partner benefits-including the ability to care for dependent children-and the ability to serve one's country in uniform, among others. Unless and until LGBTQ+ people are able to enjoy the same rights and freedoms as their fellow Americans, the nation's promise of equal justice under law will remain unfulfilled.

AAUW in Action

All public policy actions take direction from the AAUW Public Policy Priorities, voted on by members every two years. AAUW is a nonpartisan organization-but nonpartisan does not mean "non-political." Since its first meeting in 1881, AAUW has been a catalyst for change. Together, through our coordinated and strategic advocacy, we've enacted invaluable legislation at the federal, state and local levels. The 2021-2023 Public Policy priorities directly identify the vigorous enforcement of and full access to civil and constitutional rights.

The public policy team engages in many efforts on this key issue, including but not limited to:

Working in coalition with other gender equity and civil rights organizations, including the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights' Education and Employment task forces.

Mobilizing AAUW advocates and members through targeted calls to action on important legislation, like the Equality Act.

Engaging directly with elected leaders and the public through calls, letters to political offices, and comments and testimonies in hearings.

Providing voter education resources on key equity issues to consider during elections and offering information on how elected officials have voted in the past (more about this and Get Out the Vote guides at the AAUW Action Fund).

Major Strides for Equity

More than three in four Americans are supportive of broad nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people. There have been major legislative victories over the past several decades, including the 2010 vote to overturn the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that prohibited lesbian and gay members of the military from serving openly. The landmark 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which made clear that LGBTQ+ people cannot be denied the right to marry, marked a significant victory for equality. And in 2020, the Supreme Court held in Bostock v. Clayton County that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity-an important clarification of workplace protections for LGBTQ+ employees. Yet, even with this progress, there is still much to be done to ensure that LGBTQ+ people are afforded equal treatment and equal rights in all areas of daily life.

Economic Security

While the Supreme Court ruled that workers are protected from employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, state and local laws are inconsistent and workplace protections for LGBTQ+ workers are not sufficiently uniform and robust. There are approximately 8.1 million LGBT workers ages 16 and older in the U.S. An estimated 3.9 million of them live in the 28 states without statutes prohibiting sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination in employment.

Lesbian, gay and bisexual people are significantly more likely than their heterosexual peers to report employment discrimination, such as being fired from or denied a job, being denied a promotion or receiving a negative evaluation. LGBT people of color are also more likely than white LGBT colleagues to experience workplace discrimination: 36% of LGBT employees of color reported verbal harassment in 2021 compared to 25% of white LGBT employees that same year. More than three-fourths of transgender people have experienced workplace discrimination because of their gender identity, which significantly harms their economic security. Discrimination-including discrimination based on cultural norms and gender stereotypes-persists, leaving many LGBTQ+ workers without recourse if they face pay discrimination or other forms of workplace discrimination.

Education

Nearly 2 million students ages 15 and older, and countless more under the age of 15, live in states without statutory protections against sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination at school. For LGBTQ+ students, going to school often includes experiencing bullying and harassment on a regular basis, which impacts their ability to access education and harms their health and wellbeing. In 2019, around seven in ten LGBTQ students experienced verbal harassment at school based on sexual orientation, and more than half experienced harassment based on gender expression or gender. AAUW's own research also found that students in grades 7-12 are often targeted for failing to follow norms that are typical for their gender.

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights has interpreted Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 to prohibit discrimination in education on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, protecting LGBTQI+ students in schools. However, with a patchwork of federal court rulings and state and local laws, students are often left without a solution when they are bullied or harassed at school based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Discrimination in Public Accommodations

LGBTQ+ people face discrimination in many aspects of daily life, and current state laws provide limited protections. Only 21 states and Washington, D.C. provide explicit protections prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in public accommodations such restaurants, hotels or public restrooms. An estimated 6.5 million LGBT people, ages 13 and older, live in states without statutes prohibiting sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination in public accommodations.

The Equality Act

Current federal law does not prohibit sex discrimination, including discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, in public spaces or in all federally-funded programs. A uniform federal solution is needed to close these gaps in existing nondiscrimination law.

The Equality Act would make clear that discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation is a form of sex discrimination and is unlawful. Specifically, the Equality Act provides clear protections for LGBTQ+ people across a number of areas including employment, housing, credit, education, public spaces and services, federally-funded programs, and jury service. The Equality Act would also update the spaces considered public accommodations, extending current civil rights protections against discrimination based on sex, race, religion and national origin to more places important in our everyday lives.

On February 18, 2021, the Equality Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives with bipartisan support. The legislation now moves onto the Senate. Urge your Senators to support this vital update to our nation's anti-discrimination laws here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
AAUW supports the civil rights of all individuals and opposes all forms of discrimination, including discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

# data[].attributes.body
This website has loads of data starting with public opinions, going back to history. It gives you percentages and real numbers. Topics involving gender identity are in this resource as well.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Suggest Public Opinion Data

LGBT employment discrimination in United States is sexual orientation and gender identity.

Sexual orientation and gender identity

As of June 15th, 2020 the Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation or gender identity is illegal under Title VII the Civil Rights Act of 1964, classified as sex discrimination.

As of June 15, 2020, all persons working for employers that employ more than 15 people are protected from discrimination based solely on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity via the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Bostock v. Clayton County.

Sexual orientation and gender identity

As of June 15, 2020, all persons working for employers that employ more than 15 people are protected from discrimination based solely on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity via the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia

Sexual orientation and gender identity

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has ruled that "[A]llegations of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation necessarily state a claim of discrimination on the basis of sex", and are barred by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This ruling applies at both the state and federal level.

Furthermore, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ruled on April 20, 2012 that an employer who discriminates against an employee or applicant on the basis of the person's gender identity is violating the prohibition on sex discrimination contained in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ruled on April 20, 2012 that an employer who discriminates against an employee or applicant on the basis of the person's gender identity is violating the prohibition on sex discrimination contained in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Serving openly in military in United States is legal.

Blood donations by MSMs in United States is legal.

Banned (3-month deferral)

The FDA announced changes to blood donor eligibility policy on 2nd April 2020, reducing the MSM deferral period from 12 months to 3 months, it is not legally binding but most agencies and the American Red Cross treat it as such.

Banned (indefinite deferral)

Though the deferral impacts all MSMs who have had sex with a man since 1977, the policy did not go into effect until 1983. The policy applied retroactively to 1977.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
LGBT Rights in United States: homosexuality, gay marriage, gay adoption, serving in the military, sexual orientation discrimination protection, changing legal gender, donating blood, age of consent, and more.

# data[].attributes.headline
LGBTQ Discrimination Protection in States

# data[].attributes.subject
LGBTQ Discrimination Protection in States

# data[].attributes.body
This resource educated you on states that have no discrimination protection and those that do. You can get the latest information and a history timeline on each states discrimination of the LGBTQ.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How Non-Discrimination Protections Vary Across the US? - Freedom For All Americans

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Summary of state protections against LGBTQ discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations across the US.

# data[].attributes.body
This is a timeline with quick facts about different events involving LGBTQ. In many events there are more links involved to learn more about specific people, events, or acts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Here is a look at LGBTQ milestones in the United States. LGBTQ is an acronym meaning lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning. The term sometimes is extended to LGBTQIA, to include intersex and asexual groups. Queer is an umbrella term for non-straight people; intersex refers to those whose sex is not clearly defined because of genetic, hormonal, or biological differences; and asexual describes those who don't experience sexual attraction.

Timeline:

1924 - The Society for Human Rights is founded by Henry Gerber in Chicago. It is the first documented gay rights organization.

1950 - The Mattachine Society is formed by activist Harry Hay and is one of the first sustained gay rights groups in the United States. The Society focuses on social acceptance and other support for homosexuals.

April 1952 - The American Psychiatric Association's diagnostic manual lists homosexuality as a sociopathic personality disturbance.

April 27, 1953 - President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs an executive order that bans homosexuals from working for the federal government, saying they are a security risk.

September 1955 - The first known lesbian rights organization in the United States forms in San Francisco. Daughters of Bilitis (DOB). They host private social functions, fearing police raids, threats of violence and discrimination in bars and clubs.

July 1961 - Illinois becomes the first state to decriminalize homosexuality by repealing their sodomy laws.

September 11, 1961 - The first US-televised documentary about homosexuality airs on a local station in California.

June 28, 1969 - Police raid the Stonewall Inn in New York City. Protests and demonstrations begin, and it later becomes known as the impetus for the gay civil rights movement in the United States.

June 28, 1970 - Community members in New York City march through the local streets to recognize the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall riots. This event is named Christopher Street Liberation Day and is now considered the first gay pride parade.

1973 - Lambda Legal becomes the first legal organization established to fight for the equal rights of gays and lesbians. Lambda also becomes their own first client after being denied non-profit status; the New York Supreme Court eventually rules that Lambda Legal can exist as a non-profit.

January 1, 1973 - Maryland becomes the first state to statutorily ban same-sex marriage.

March 26, 1973 - First meeting of "Parents and Friends of Gays," which goes national as Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) in 1982.

December 15, 1973 - By a vote of 5,854 to 3,810, the American Psychiatric Association removes homosexuality from its list of mental disorders in the DSM-II Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

1974 - Kathy Kozachenko becomes the first openly LGBTQ American elected to any public office when she wins a seat on the Ann Arbor, Michigan City Council.

1974 - Elaine Noble is the first openly gay candidate elected to a state office when she is elected to the Massachusetts State legislature.

January 14, 1975 - The first federal gay rights bill is introduced to address discrimination based on sexual orientation. The bill later goes to the Judiciary Committee but is never brought for consideration.

March 1975 - Technical Sergeant Leonard P. Matlovich reveals his sexual orientation to his commanding officer and is forcibly discharged from the Air Force six months later. Matlovich is a Vietnam War veteran and was awarded both the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. In 1980, the Court of Appeals rules that the dismissal was improper. Matlovich is awarded his back pay and a retroactive promotion.

1976 - After undergoing gender reassignment surgery in 1975, ophthalmologist and professional tennis player Renee Richards is banned from competing in the women's US Open because of a "women-born-women" rule. Richards challenges the decision and in 1977 and the New York Supreme Court rules in her favor. Richards competes in the 1977 US Open but is defeated in the first round by Virginia Wade.

October 14, 1979 - The first National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights takes place. It draws an estimated 75,000 to 125,000 individuals marching for LGBTQ rights.

March 2, 1982 - Wisconsin becomes the first state to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation.

1983 - Lambda Legal wins People v. West 12 Tenants Corp., the first HIV/AIDS discrimination lawsuit. Neighbors attempted to evict Dr. Joseph Sonnabend from the building because he was treating HIV-positive patients.

October 11, 1988 - The first National Coming Out Day is observed.

November 1995 - The Hate Crimes Sentencing Enhancement Act goes into effect as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. The law allows a judge to impose harsher sentences if there is evidence showing that a victim was selected because of the "actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual orientation of any person."

September 21, 1996 - President Clinton signs the Defense of Marriage Act, banning federal recognition of same-sex marriage and defining marriage as "a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife."

December 3, 1996 - Hawaii's Judge Chang rules that the state does not have a legal right to deprive same-sex couples of the right to marry, making Hawaii the first state to recognize that gay and lesbian couples are entitled to the same privileges as heterosexual married couples.

April 1997 - Comedian Ellen DeGeneres comes out as a lesbian on the cover of Time magazine, stating, "Yep, I'm Gay."

April 30, 1997 - DeGeneres' character, Ellen Morgan, on her self-titled TV series "Ellen," becomes the first leading character to come out on a prime-time network television show.

October 6-7, 1998 - Matthew Shepard is tied to a fence and beaten near Laramie, Wyoming. He is eventually found by a cyclist, who initially mistakes him for a scarecrow. He later dies due to his injuries sustained in the beating.

October 9, 1998 - Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney from Laramie, Wyoming, make their first court appearance after being arrested for the attempted murder of Shepard. Eventually, they each receive two life sentences for killing Shepard.

June 2003 - The US Supreme Court strikes down the "homosexual conduct" law, which decriminalizes same-sex sexual conduct, with their opinion in Lawrence v. Texas. The decision also reverses Bowers v. Hardwick, a 1986 US Supreme Court ruling that upheld Georgia's sodomy law.

May 17, 2004 - The first legal same-sex marriage in the United States takes place in Massachusetts.

September 6, 2005 - The California legislature becomes the first to pass a bill allowing marriage between same-sex couples. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoes the bill.

October 25, 2006 - The New Jersey Supreme Court rules that state lawmakers must provide the rights and benefits of marriage to gay and lesbian couples.

May 15, 2008 - The California Supreme Court rules in re: Marriage Cases that limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples is unconstitutional.

November 4, 2008 - Voters approve Proposition 8 in California, which makes same-sex marriage illegal. The proposition is later found to be unconstitutional by a federal judge.

August 12, 2009 - Milk is posthumously awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.

October 28, 2009 - Obama signs the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law.

September 20, 2011 - "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is repealed, ending a ban on gay men and lesbians from serving openly in the military.

May 9, 2012 - In an ABC interview,Obama becomes the first sitting US president to publicly support the freedom for LGBTQ couples to marry.

September 4, 2012 - The Democratic Party becomes the first major US political party in history to publicly support same-sex marriage on a national platform at the Democratic National Convention.

November 6, 2012 - Tammy Baldwin becomes the first openly gay politician and the first Wisconsin woman to be elected to the US Senate.

June 26, 2013 - In United States v. Windsor, the US Supreme Court strikes down section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, ruling that legally married same-sex couples are entitled to federal benefits. The high court also dismisses a case involving California's proposition 8.

October 6, 2014 - The United States Supreme Court denies review in five different marriage cases, allowing lower court rulings to stand, and therefore allowing same-sex couples to marry in Utah, Oklahoma, Virginia, Indiana and Wisconsin. The decision opens the door for the right to marry in Colorado, Kansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Wyoming.

May 17, 2016 - The Senate confirms Eric Fanning to be secretary of the Army, making him the first openly gay secretary of a US military branch. Fanning previously served as Defense Secretary Carter's chief of staff, and also served as undersecretary of the Air Force and deputy undersecretary of the Navy.

June 30, 2016 - Secretary of Defense Carter announces that the Pentagon is lifting the ban on transgender people serving openly in the US military.

November 9, 2016 - Kate Brown is sworn in as governor of Oregon, a day after she was officially elected to the office. Brown becomes the highest-ranking LGBTQ person elected to office in the United States. Brown took over the governorship in February 2016 (without an election), after Democrat John Kitzhaber resigned amidst a criminal investigation.

April 4, 2017 - The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals rules that the Civil Rights Act prohibits workplace discrimination against LGBTQ employees, after Kimberly Hively sues Ivy Tech Community College for violating Title VII of the act by denying her employment.

June 27, 2017 - District of Columbia residents can now choose a gender-neutral option of their driver's license. DC residents become the first people in the United States to be able to choose X as their gender marker instead of male or female on driver's licenses and identification cards. Similar policies exist in Canada, India, Bangladesh, Australia, New Zealand and Nepal.

June 30, 2017 - The US Department of Defense announces a six-month delay in allowing transgendered individuals to enlist in the United States military. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis writes that they "will use this additional time to evaluate more carefully the impact of such accessions on readiness and lethality." Approximately a month later, President Donald Trump announces via Twitter that the "United States Government will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the US Military..."

November 7, 2017 - Virginia voters elect the state's first openly transgender candidate to the Virginia House of Delegates. Danica Roem unseats incumbent delegate Bob Marshall, who had been elected 13 times over 26 years. Roem becomes the first openly transgender candidate elected to a state legislature in American history.

February 26, 2018 - The Pentagon confirms that the first transgender person has signed a contract to join the US military.

November 6, 2018 - Democratic US Representative Jared Polis wins the Colorado governor's race, becoming the nation's first openly gay man to be elected governor.

June 30, 2019 - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signs a law banning the use of the so-called gay and trans panic legal defense strategy. The tactic asks a jury to find that a victim's sexual orientation or gender identity is to blame for a defendant's violent reaction. New York follows California, Rhode Island, Illinois, Nevada and Connecticut as the sixth state to pass such a law.

February 10, 2020 - The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upholds a ruling that the state of Idaho must provide gender confirmation surgery for Adree Edmo, an inmate in the custody of the Idaho Department of Correction. The ruling marks the first time a federal appeals court has ruled that a state must provide gender assignment surgery to an incarcerated person. According to the court opinion, "the gender confirmation surgery (GCS) was medically necessary for Edmo, and ordered the State to provide the surgery." In July 2020, Edmo receives her gender confirmation surgery and a May 2020 appeal by Attorney General of Idaho, Lawrence Wasden, is denied as moot by the US Supreme Court in October 2020.

August 26, 2020 - The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals rules in favor of former student, Gavin Grimm in a more than four-year fight over restroom policies for transgender students. The ruling states that policies segregating transgender students from their peers is unconstitutional and violate federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in education. The decision relies in part on the Supreme Court's decision in June 2020, stating that discrimination against people based on their gender identity or sexual orientation violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 2021, the Supreme Court chooses not to review the opinion by the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals.

February 2, 2021 - Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg becomes the first openly gay Cabinet member confirmed by the Senate.

March 24, 2021 - Dr. Rachel Levine, assistant secretary for health in the Department of Health and Human Services becomes the first out transgender federal official to be confirmed by the Senate.

June 21, 2021 - Carl Nassib, a defensive lineman with the Las Vegas Raiders, becomes the first active NFL player in league history to announce that he is gay.

June 30, 2021 - The State Department announces it will be updating its procedures to allow applicants to self-select their sex marker for passports and that it "will no longer require medical certification" if an applicant's self-selected sex marker doesn't match the sex listed on other official identity documents.

October 27, 2021 - The State Department announces that the US has issued the first US passport with an X gender marker. "As the Secretary announced in June, the Department is moving towards adding an X gender marker for non-binary, intersex, and gender non-conforming persons applying for a U.S. passport or CRBA," State spokesperson Ned Price says in a statement.

October 19, 2022 - The Social Security Administration announces that people can now choose their sex marker in their Social Security records.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
LGBTQ Rights Milestones Fast Facts | CNN

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Here is a look at LGBTQ milestones in the United States. LGBTQ is an acronym meaning lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning. The term sometimes is extended to LGBTQIA, to include intersex and asexual groups.

# data[].attributes.body
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) work in courts, legislatures, and communities "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." They are a nonprofit organization founded in 1920. This page educated you on their organization, LGBTQ rights, and current issues in the LGBTQ community.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The ACLU works to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, & queer people belong everywhere and can live openly and authentically without discrimination, harassment, or violence. The ACLU has a long history of defending the LGBTQ community. We brought our first LGBTQ rights case in 1936. What is now the Jon L.

# data[].attributes.body
The Equality Act is a legislation that would expand civil rights laws to protect LGBTQ members from discrimination. Discrimination in employment, housing, credit, jury service, federally funded programs, and public places and spaces. No matter the political party or religion Americans are a part of, over 80% support LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Equality Act is a landmark piece of legislation that would expand federal civil rights laws to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in employment, housing, credit, jury service, and federally funded programs, such as those for health and education, as well as public places and spaces. Nondiscrimination protections are sorely needed: A nationally representative 2020 survey from the Center for American Progress revealed that 1 in 3 LGBTQ Americans, including 3 in 5 transgender Americans, experienced discrimination in just the past year. Evidence demonstrates that discrimination has adverse effects on physical and mental health as well as basic economic security. This fact sheet explains how the Equality Act advances fair treatment for LGBTQ people, women, people of color, and people of faith.

The Equality Act enjoys broad-based support

The Equality Act enjoys broad support among the American public and a wide range of stakeholders, including the more than 300 member companies that comprise the Business Coalition for the Equality Act. According to a 2020 survey from the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute, more than 80 percent of Americans, including a majority of Americans in all 50 states, and majorities of Republicans, Democrats, and independents support LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections. The same survey found that solid majorities of people from all major religions support laws protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination; recently, more than 100 faith groups have endorsed the bill.

Employment

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Bostock v. Clayton County that it is illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for an employer to not hire, to fire, or to otherwise discriminate against individuals because of their sexual orientation or gender identity (SOGI). The Equality Act would ensure that this interpretation is explicitly codified in the country's civil rights laws by clarifying that existing sex discrimination protections prohibit discrimination based on SOGI.

Housing

The Equality Act similarly amends the Fair Housing Act (FHA) to explicitly codify SOGI protections, robustly prohibiting housing discrimination against LGBTQ people. Specifically, the law would prohibit differential treatment in renting, selling, pricing, eviction, service provision, shelter access, homeowners insurance, mortgage lending, and other activities, along with harassment, coercion, and retaliation in the exercise of their fair housing rights.

Credit

The Equality Act would also codify the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau's interpretive rule, explicitly adding SOGI as protected characteristics in the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. Consequentially, the law would clarify that LGBTQ people cannot be denied car loans, mortgage loans, credit cards, student loans, or small-business loans simply because of who they are-and that differential treatment in credit transactions is prohibited. Access to credit is essential for promoting greater economic security and the financial stability of disadvantaged groups such as LGBTQ people.

Jury service

By amending the Jury Selection and Service Act to explicitly include SOGI in its definition of sex discrimination, the Equality Act would codify existing interpretations to prohibit attorneys from rejecting prospective jurors simply because they are LGBTQ. Although sex discrimination is prohibited in jury selection nationwide, in the 42 states that currently lack explicit SOGI jury protections, attorneys may attempt to deprive LGBTQ people of their constitutional right to a jury of their peers.

Federally funded programs

The federal government funds a wide range of programs, including shelters, schools, community health centers, adoption agencies, and law enforcement or carceral institutions. The Equality Act amends Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include sex and SOGI, meaning that LGBTQ people and women would be protected from discrimination, mistreatment, or refusal by any of these programs. Given the difficulties faced by same-sex prospective parents considering adoption and the serious dangers that LGBTQ people, especially transgender individuals, face in confinement, these protections are needed and well overdue.

The amendment of Title VI would benefit LGBTQ students in federally funded schools by clarifying federal protection against bullying and harassment and ensuring that students have the right to use sex-segregated facilities and participate in sex-segregated activities in accordance with their gender identity. The Equality Act would also protect transgender and nonbinary students from the pervasive misgendering and harassment that many face-a lifesaving step. The Equality Act does not amend Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972: Protections for women and girls and sex-segregated programs in schools would be maintained.

Public spaces and services

According to CAP's 2020 survey, more than half of LGBTQ respondents who reported harassment or discrimination said that it occurred in a public space such as a store or restaurant. The Equality Act would establish sex and SOGI protections in public accommodations. This means that businesses open to the public, such as restaurants and pharmacies, would face accountability if they discriminate against, mistreat, or refuse to serve LGBTQ individuals. These amendments would not only benefit LGBTQ individuals; all women could no longer be charged higher prices than men for equivalent services or be denied services by establishments that provide health care. Currently, the 1964 Civil Rights Act is out of date and includes protections for only four areas of public accommodation: hotels, inns, motels, or similar lodging; restaurants; entertainment spaces such as movie theaters and sports arenas; and any entity physically located within one of those places. By expanding the range of public accommodations recognized under civil rights law, the Equality Act would ensure protections for race, color, religion, national origin, and sex, including SOGI, in public spaces, including retail stores, transportation, and health care providers.

The Equality Act protects and advances religious liberty

The Equality Act would benefit many religious people and would not undermine existing religious exemptions in the amended civil rights laws, despite the suggestions of opponents of LGBTQ equality. People of faith would, in fact, receive new protections from discrimination-for example, protections from faith-based discrimination in more public accommodations, such as prohibiting the use of "No Muslims allowed" signs in retail stores. Meanwhile, religious organizations would retain all the same exemptions they already have under civil rights laws such as Title VII and the FHA: They would still be allowed to favor people of the same religion, so long as they do not discriminate based on other protected characteristics. Importantly, the Equality Act clarifies that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) cannot serve as a defense against claims of discrimination. This ensures that religion cannot be weaponized as a license to discriminate-including against people for their religious beliefs-in accordance with RFRA's legislative intent.

Conclusion

The Equality Act would meaningfully expand civil rights protections for many Americans and advance equal treatment for LGBTQ people, women, people of faith, and people of color. The concrete benefits of the landmark civil rights laws that it would amend are clear-it's time to extend these benefits equally to all.
Theo Santos is the special assistant for the LGBTQ Research and Communications Project at the Center for American Progress. Caroline Medina is a policy analyst for the LGBTQ Research and Communications Project at the Center. Sharita Gruberg is the vice president for the LGBTQ Research and Communications Project at the Center.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What You Need To Know About the Equality Act

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Equality Act is a landmark piece of legislation that would expand federal civil rights laws to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in employment, housing, credit, jury service, and federally funded programs, such as those for health and education, as well as public places and spaces.

# data[].attributes.body
The Human Rights Campaign envisions a world where LGBTQ+ members aren't afraid and can speak their truth. They educate on their rights and current events. They have over 3 million supporters and members. They advocate working together in order to make a change.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Advocating for LGBTQ Equality | Human Rights Campaign

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer equality.

# data[].attributes.body
The Fund supports LGBTQ activists fighting for their rights. Includes data about some LGBTQ situations. And it includes what they support and fight for.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We all have the same human rights.

But for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people worldwide, being open and out means dealing with discrimination, harassment, or worse.

In every region where we work, the Fund supports fearless LGBTQ activists who are realizing their bold visions for social, economic, and political equity.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
LGBTQ Rights - The Fund for Global Human Rights

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We all have the same human rights. But for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people worldwide, being open and out means dealing with discrimination, harassment, or worse. In every region where we work, the Fund supports fearless LGBTQ activists who are realizing their bold visions for social, economic, and political equity.