U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL), on Jan. 19, became the first Senate Republican to sign on as a co-sponsor of the Equality Act, which guarantees explicit and permanent protections for LGBT Americans in areas such as employment, housing, credit, education, public spaces and services, federally funded programs, and jury service.
“Discrimination on the basis of being gay is against the law in Illinois and should be against the law nationwide,” Kirk told BuzzFeed, who broke the story.
“Senator Kirk has once again proven his leadership, by becoming the first Republican Senator to co-sponsor of the Equality Act,” said Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin in a statement. “His support for the Equality Act sends a strong message that fairness and equality are bipartisan values. It also reflects the view of the overwhelming majority of all Americans who believe that everyone, including LGBT people, should be able to have a fair chance to earn a living, provide for their families, and live free from fear of discrimination.”
Rep. Bob Dold (R-IL) became the first Republican co-sponsor of the bill in Congress the week of Jan. 11.
The Equality Act was introduced in July, 2015, by U.S. Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI). Insiders do not believe it is likely to pass in this session, but U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), who introduced the bill in the Senate, told BuzzFeed, “In communities across America, Republicans and Democrats alike share a common belief that discriminating against someone just because of who they are is fundamentally wrong. It is time for all Americans to work together to end long-standing discrimination against the LGBT community.”
Buzzfeed’s story is at bzfd.it/1S32EQW.