House Votes To Add LGBT Protections To Housing Bill

The House passes an amendment that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Late Tuesday night, the LGBT community saw a victory when the Republican held House passed an LGBT-inclusive amendment for Housing and Urban Development (HUD) spending. The amendment was proposed by Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.), and forbids spending on housing and urban development contractors without LGBT-inclusive, non-discrimination polices.

“My amendment would make a simple change to the text of the bill that make an important difference in the lives of LGBT Americans across the country,” Peters said when he took the floor. “President Obama signed an Executive Order in July 2014 to prohibit federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity against their employees or those seeking employment. This amendment would affirm that order by ensuring that no funds in the bill are used to conflict with the president’s rule. It would demonstrate to the American people that congress supports fairness and equality for all.”

The amendment was passed by a 241-184 vote, with 60 of the “Yes” votes coming from Republicans. Peters went to Twitter shortly after to announce his victory. “My amendment for #LGBT non-discrimination in fed housing & transportation contractors passed.”

According to the Washington Blade though, the bill is unlikely to become law because the White House issued a veto threat due to the significant freezes and cuts to critical investments in transportation. The legislation, as it currently stands, cuts $242 million from Amtrak’s budget.

If by chance the bill does become law, it would be a nice addition to the other numerous advances HUD has made for LGBT equality over the last few years. In 2012, they issued the Equal Access Rule ensuring that core programs are available to all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. They also recently formed a partnership with the True Colors Fund, and other federal agencies, to help combat LGBT youth homelessness. 

The video of Rep. Scott Peters proposing his amendment on the House floor can be seen below.

 

Image by torbakhopper via Flickr and a CC license