Actress Jane Lynch has become the latest high-profile person to release a video urging Congress to pass the Equality Act, as part of the ongoing “Americans for the Equality Act” series.
Filmed by award-winning directors Dustin Lance Black and Paris Barclay, the series is part of a public awareness campaign launched by the Human Rights Campaign to explain the benefits of the LGBTQ rights measure and urge Americans to apply pressure to their elected representatives to ensure it passes.
Black, in addition to directing the series, filmed his own video advocating for the act as well.
In her video, Lynch recounts her coming out process and speaks about how important it is to pass the Equality Act to ensure future generations don’t have to fear discrimination for living authentically as themselves.
“We live in a democracy, and we were founded on the notion that every man has the right to pursue happiness. And I know, growing up, that’s why it was my deep, dark secret, being gay, is because I knew that I probably wouldn’t get the support I was enjoying pretending to be straight,” Lynch says.
“Right now, kids all over the country are living with the fear of their identification, knowing that, if it were exposed, they could be denied a job, they could be denied housing, they could be fired, they could lose their children,” she adds. “And I just don’t want kids feeling like they have to hide who they are, who they were born as. And that’s why we need to pass the Equality Act right now.”
Currently, about half of all LGBTQ Americans live in one of 30 states without statewide legal nondiscrimination protections.
The Equality Act would amend the federal civil rights laws to prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ individuals in employment, housing, credit, education, public spaces and services, federally-funded programs and jury service.
The “Americans for the Equality Act” series is planning to release additional videos in the coming weeks featuring twin actors Charlie and Max Carver, director Paris Barclay and his husband, Christopher, and model, actor, and deaf activist Nyle DiMarco.
The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on the Equality Act on Friday, May 17.
Advocates will continue lobbying on behalf of the bill when it hits the U.S. Senate, even though it is unlikely that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will allow a vote on it.
Chad Griffin, the president of the Human Rights Campaign, thanked Lynch for taking part in the campaign.
“Jane Lynch is a trailblazing actress whose visibility, authenticity, and advocacy is giving hope to millions,” Griffin said in a statement. “Jane is a committed champion for our community who uses her global platform to educate, advocate, and to inspire us to take action. … It’s past time for Congress to take action and pass legislation providing clear, comprehensive nationwide non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ Americans.”
Congressional lawmakers have approved a measure that would bar Medicaid -- the federal health insurance program for low-income Americans -- from covering gender-affirming care, including hormonal and surgical interventions, for minors.
The "Do No Harm in Medicaid Act," sponsored by U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), is the third in a series of Republican-backed efforts to block people under 18 from accessing medical treatments that assist in a gender transition.
The measure passed by a 215-201 vote, with four Democrats -- Reps. Henry Cuellar (Texas), Vicente Gonzalez (Texas), Don Davis (N.C.) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.) -- joining Republicans in support of the ban.
Russia's federal media regulator has blocked access to the U.S.-based children's gaming platform Roblox, accusing it of violating the country's ban on distributing so-called "LGBT propaganda."
The platform allows users to create their own games or play games made by others, drawing millions of young players worldwide.
Roskomnadzor, Russia's Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media, announced the ban on December 3, telling Reuters the platform is "rife with inappropriate content that can negatively impact the spiritual and moral development of children."
The Department of Justice has ordered prison inspectors to stop evaluating key protections created under the 2003 Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) that are designed to prevent sexual violence against transgender, intersex, and gender-nonconforming inmates.
As first reported by NPR, a newly disclosed memo says the change is part of an effort to revise PREA standards to comply with President Donald Trump’s January executive order denying federal recognition for non-cisgender identities.
According to the memo, detention centers undergoing PREA audits -- including federal and state prisons, juvenile facilities, and immigration detention centers -- will no longer be evaluated under the LGBTQ-specific standards meant to protect transgender, intersex, and gender-nonconforming inmates while the revisions are underway.
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