The House passed the Equality Act, a bill that would prohibit discrimination against people based on sexual orientation and gender identity, despite sharp opposition from Republicans over provisions relating to transgender people participating in women’s sports, hormone treatments for minors, and abortion.
The bill, passed 224-206, would expand on last year’s Supreme Court ruling that the Civil Rights Act bans employment discrimination based on sexual or gender identity. A version of the Equality Act passed the House in the last Congress, but the Republican-controlled Senate never brought it up for a vote.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday promised to put the legislation up for a vote in his chamber now that Democrats narrowly control it, but he declined to say when, other than it would be “at exactly the right time.”
Republicans railed against provisions in the bill that they say could lead to potentially providing a way around a current ban on federal funding of abortion and forcing schools to allow male-to-female transgender individuals on women’s sports teams. Religious freedom concerns were also at top of mind, with some Republicans wondering whether the bill would force churches or other religious organizations that reject same-sex relationships and gender changes to close.
GREENE RESPONDS TO COLLEAGUE’S EQUALITY ACT FIGHT WITH ‘TWO GENDERS’ SIGN
“Under this Democrat regime, which controls Congress, the arrogance of the radical Left will lead them to try and regulate and control every aspect of your life, including how you gender your children,” Colorado Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert said in a House Freedom Caucus press conference on Thursday.
Firebrand Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, whom Democrats earlier this month removed from committees over her past support for conspiracy theories, was one of the loudest voices in opposition to the bill.
Two days in a row, Greene made a procedural motion to adjourn the House as a way to delay consideration of the bill, which required all members to go to the House floor and vote on her motion.
When Democratic Rep. Marie Newman, a House office neighbor of Greene’s who has a transgender child, hung up a transgender flag outside her office as a way to respond to Greene, the Georgia congresswoman responded by hanging a sign that said, “There are two genders.”
Schumer slammed Republicans for their opposition and rhetoric on transgender issues.
“Their attacks on trans people and the transgender community are just mean. Mean!” the New York Democrat said in a press conference with Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday. “Their despicable comments just make my blood boil with anger.”
New York Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler argued that the bill would not infringe on religious liberty.
Republicans were not united in the style of fiery opposition to the bill.
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Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who is hoping to push the Republican Party away from former President Donald Trump’s style of politics, said that Greene’s “two genders” display was “sad.”
“This video and tweet represents the hate and fame driven politics of self-promotion at all evil costs,” he said in a tweet.
This is sad and I’m sorry this happened. Rep. Newmans daughter is transgender, and this video and tweet represents the hate and fame driven politics of self-promotion at all evil costs. This garbage must end, in order to #RestoreOurGOP https://t.co/gcPZ5Cu7Vr
— Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) February 25, 2021
