Equal justice under law? Not for all:
Equal justice under law. It's carved in stone above the Supreme Court, but not actually guaranteed for all of us.
Not long ago, I was with Representative John Lewis in the Capitol Building looking out at the Supreme Court. We were talking about the arc of history, and how it's our responsibility to bend it towards justice.
His story is legend. Selma, Alabama. The Edmund Pettus Bridge. A lifetime working for civil rights.
But we all know the job isn't done. Far from it. One example: nationally, LGBTQ+ Americans still face discrimination. In the workplace, in housing, because of who they love.
That's why, today, I'm thrilled that the House has passed the Equality Act that I wrote with Representative David Cicilline, to finally make good on the promise of equal protections for LGBTQ+ Americans.
The next step? Get this historic legislation through the Senate. Sign my petition: tell Mitch McConnell to take up and pass the Equality Act right away.
I've spent my life in public service on this fight. In Oregon, as House Speaker, I was tired of the inaction on a national level — so we got working at home, passing the Oregon Equality Act in 2007.
In 2009, in his final days, Senator Ted Kennedy asked me to pick up the charge for his Employment Non-Discrimination Act. I was able to pass it with a bipartisan majority in the Senate in 2012, only to see it blocked by the Republican House.
And, of course, we all celebrated the terrific moment in 2015 when marriage equality became the law of the land.
The Equality Act must be next. It's a critical piece of the puzzle, adding LGBTQ+ protections to our landmark federal civil rights laws, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which President Lyndon Johnson signed into law. I'm reminded of his commencement address to Howard University students in 1965. He said:
Freedom is the right to share, share fully and equally, in American society — to vote, to hold a job, to enter a public place, to go to school.
He's absolutely right. And that's why the Equality Act is so important.
Jeff
