The United States House of Representatives has just passed a historic gay and transgender reform bill aimed at safeguarding the equalities of the community.
According to NBC News, the so-called Equality Act was passed after a vote made on Thursday, February 25.
The new bill prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in a number of areas across the entire United States, such as employment, housing, education, public accommodations, credit ratings, and jury service.
NBC reports that the bill was narrowly passed at a vote of 224 to 206 against, with a mere three Republicans throwing their support behind it.
A similar bill was introduced in the Senate on Tuesday, February 23, and requires a breach of the 60-vote threshold to break through the filibuster.
The act amends the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, and now includes protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and identity.
It was first passed in the House way back in 2019 after a 236-173 vote, which including eight Republicans. However, it then failed to get a hearing in the GOP-dominated Senate.
Commenting on the bill per NBC, Representative David Cicilline told the House floor: "The LGBTQ community has waited long enough.
"The time has come to extend the blessings of liberty and equality to all Americans, regardless of who they are or who they love."
Meanwhile, Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David said in an official statement:
"Today’s vote is a major milestone for equality bringing us closer to ensuring that every person is treated equally under the law.
"Now, the ball is in the Senate’s court to pass the Equality Act and finally allow LGBTQ Americans the ability to live their lives free from discrimination."
However, the new bill has not been welcomed from all quarters.
For instance, conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation has warned Americans in a post on its website: "Females of all ages can expect to lose more and more opportunities … to biological males who have a natural advantage in sports and physical activities.
"The Equality Act would defeat the entire purpose of Title IX, which was meant to ensure that women would have the same opportunities as men including in sports, and would leave women vulnerable to sexual assault."
