In roughly 30 states, it is still legal to fire, refuse housing, or deny service to Americans based solely on sexual orientation or gender identity. This discrimination causes disproportionate rates of homelessness, unemployment, poverty, and negative health outcomes within the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, or LGBT, community. With marriage equality continuing its overwhelming success in courts across the country, it is time to continue the conversation about ensuring basic protections for all Americans.
Please join the Center for American Progress for an event discussing these issues, where CAP will unveil a major report outlining discrimination against LGBT people in many facets of American life. The report calls on the U.S. Congress to take a comprehensive approach to securing nondiscrimination protections in employment, housing, public accommodations, credit, and federal funding for LGBT Americans. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), the lead sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in the U.S. Senate, will headline the event.
Welcoming remarks:
Winnie Stachelberg, Executive Vice President for External Affairs, Center for American Progress
Keynote address:
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Distinguished panelists:
Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA)
Rev. Delman Coates, Senior Pastor of Mt. Ennon Baptist Church
Chad Griffin, President, Human Rights Campaign
Sarah McBride, Special Assistant, Center for American Progress, and co-author of the report
Moderator:
Maya Harris, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress