Ros-Lehtinen: Pass the Equality Act to help LGBTQ Americans | Opinion

A recently released report on the intersection of racial and LGBTQ discrimination, issued by the Center for American Progress, found that Latino LGBTQ people experience more discrimination in the workplace, the housing market and critical services. They suffer profoundly greater harm as a result.

In Florida, we have an estimated 1.4 million Latino LGBTQ people living without full protections from discrimination.

Though we’ve made some progress by passing laws at the municipal level, a federal nondiscrimination law like the Equality Act would ensure LGBTQ people are protected throughout our state, and across the nation.

It’s well past time for Congress to update our civil-rights laws to protect LGBTQ Americans, especially people of color who are disproportionately burdened by the lack of a federal law.

The Equality Act, now under consideration in the Senate, would provide express and enduring nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ Americans in key areas of life, including employment, housing, education, and public spaces.

Our local communities are vibrant and should not be subject to a patchwork of laws based on their ZIP code. Freedom, fairness and opportunity for all Americans is a must.

As a Republican and the first Latina woman elected to the U.S. Congress, I hope members of Congress will embrace bipartisanship and focus on the values we all have in common in order to get this important legislation passed.

Lawmakers must do everything possible to pass the strongest protections.

America is ready for the Equality Act.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is a former Republican U. S. Representative from Miami

This story was originally published August 8, 2021 at 7:57 AM.