Glossary
Equality Act
The Equality Act is proposed U.S. federal legislation that would add sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes across civil rights law.
The Equality Act is a bill in Congress that would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related laws to explicitly ban discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Its protections would cover employment, housing, credit, education, public accommodations, federally funded programs, and jury service. The House of Representatives passed it in 2019 and again in 2021, but it has repeatedly stalled in the Senate. It was reintroduced in the 119th Congress in April 2025 as H.R. 15. Supporters, including HRC and other advocacy groups, call it a top legislative priority because current federal protections for LGBTQ+ people are inconsistent and incomplete. As of 2026 it has not become law.
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