The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is legislation proposed in the United States Congress that would prohibit discrimination in hiring and employment on the basis of sexual orientation or,depending on the version of the bill,gender identity,by employers with at least 15 employees.
John Henry Rutherford is an American politician and former police officer serving as the U.S. representative from Florida's 5th congressional district since 2017. His district encompasses most of Jacksonville and most of its suburbs in Nassau and St. Johns counties,including St. Augustine.
William J. Lippert,Jr.,commonly known as Bill Lippert,is a legislator and gay rights activist from the U.S. state of Vermont who has served since 1994 in the Vermont House of Representatives as state representative of the Town of Hinesburg. He served as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee for ten years,and now serves as chairman of the House Health Care Committee.
In the United States,public opinion and jurisprudence on lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) rights have developed significantly since the late 1980s. In 1961,beginning with Illinois,states began to decriminalize same-sex sexual activity,and in 2003,through Lawrence v. Texas,all remaining laws against same-sex sexual activity were invalidated. In 2004,beginning with Massachusetts,states began to offer same-sex marriage,and in 2015,through Obergefell v. Hodges,all states were required to offer it. In many states and municipalities,LGBT Americans are explicitly protected from discrimination in employment,housing,and access to public accommodations. Many LGBT rights in the United States have been established by the United States Supreme Court,which invalidated state laws banning protected class recognition based upon homosexuality,struck down sodomy laws nationwide,struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act,made same-sex marriage legal nationwide,and prohibited employment discrimination against gay and transgender employees. LGBT-related anti-discrimination laws regarding housing and private and public services varies by state. Twenty-three states plus Washington,D.C.,Guam,and Puerto Rico outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation,and twenty-two states plus Washington,D.C.,outlaw discrimination based on gender identity or expression. Family law also varies by state. Adoption of children by same-sex married couples is legal nationwide since Obergefell v. Hodges.
Dennis K. Baxley is a state legislator in Florida who has served in the Florida Senate since 2016. A Republican,he represents the 12th district including Sumter County and parts of Lake County and Marion County in Central Florida. He previously served in the Florida House of Representatives,representing parts of Marion County from 2000 to 2007 and again from 2010 until his election to the Senate. He served on the Belleview City Commission and as its mayor.
In the United States,the rights of transgender people vary considerably by jurisdiction. In recent decades,there has been an expansion of federal,state,and local laws and rulings to protect transgender Americans;however,many rights remain unprotected,and some rights are being eroded. Since 2020,there has been a national movement by conservative/right-wing politicians and organizations to target transgender rights. There has been a steady increase in the number of anti-transgender bills introduced each year,especially in Republican-led states.
Vicky Jo Hartzler is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Missouri's 4th congressional district from 2011 to 2023. A member of the Republican Party,she served as the Missouri state representative for the 124th district from 1995 to 2001.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of Florida have federal protections,but many face legal difficulties on the state level that are not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity became legal in the state after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Lawrence v. Texas on June 26,2003,although the state legislature has not repealed its sodomy law. Same-sex marriage has been legal in the state since January 6,2015. Discrimination on account of sexual orientation and gender identity in employment,housing and public accommodations is outlawed following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County. In addition,several cities and counties,comprising about 55 percent of Florida's population,have enacted anti-discrimination ordinances. These include Jacksonville,Miami,Tampa,Orlando,St. Petersburg,Tallahassee and West Palm Beach,among others. Conversion therapy is also banned in a number of cities in the state,mainly in Palm Beach County and the Miami metropolitan area. In September 2023,Lake Worth Beach,Florida became an official "LGBT sanctuary city" to protect and defend LGBT rights.
Illinois is seen as one of the most progressive states in the United States in regard to lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) rights and often viewed as one of the most liberal states in the Midwestern United States. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 1962,after Illinois became the first U.S. state to repeal its sodomy laws. Same-sex marriage was banned by statute in 1996,but has since been legalized after a law allowing such marriages was signed by Governor Pat Quinn on November 20,2013 and went into effect on June 1,2014. Civil unions have been recognized since 2011,and same-sex couples are also allowed to adopt. Additionally,discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is banned in employment,housing,credit and public accommodations,and conversion therapy on minors has been outlawed since 2016.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,transgender,and queer (LGBTQ) persons in the U.S. state of Missouri face some legal challenges not experienced by other residents throughout the state,excluding St. Louis,Kansas City,and Columbia. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Missouri.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of South Dakota may face some legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in South Dakota,and same-sex marriages have been recognized since June 2015 as a result of Obergefell v. Hodges. State statutes do not address discrimination on account of sexual orientation or gender identity;however,the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County established that employment discrimination against LGBT people is illegal under federal law.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) persons in the U.S. state of Montana may face some legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in Montana since 1997. Same-sex couples and families headed by same-sex couples are eligible for all of the protections available to opposite-sex married couples,as same-sex marriage has been recognized since November 2014. State statutes do not address discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity;however,the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County established that employment discrimination against LGBT people is illegal under federal law. A number of cities also provide protections in housing and public accommodations.
John D. Ragan Jr. is an American politician. A Republican,he represents District 33 in the Tennessee House of Representatives.
The Equality Act is a bill in the United States Congress,that,if passed,would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex,sexual orientation and gender identity in employment,housing,public accommodations,education,federally funded programs,credit,and jury service. The Supreme Court's June 2020 ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County protects gay and transgender people in matters of employment,but not in other respects. The Bostock ruling also covered the Altitude Express and Harris Funeral Homes cases.
A bathroom bill is the common name for legislation or a statute that denies access to public toilets by gender or transgender identity. Bathroom bills affect access to sex-segregated public facilities for an individual based on a determination of their sex as defined in some specific way,such as their sex as assigned at birth,their sex as listed on their birth certificate,or the sex that corresponds to their gender identity. A bathroom bill can either be inclusive or exclusive of transgender individuals,depending on the aforementioned definition of their sex.
Kimberly Daniels is an American minister,religious author,politician,wife and mother of four from Jacksonville,Florida. She is a member of the Florida House of Representatives,representing House District 14. She began her political career as an at-large member of the Jacksonville City Council. She served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives,representing House District 14 as a member of the Democratic Party from 2016–2020 before losing her re-election campaign to Florida state House representative Angie Nixon. During the 2022 election,Nixon ran to represent House District 13,creating a vacant seat in House District 14. On the last day of qualifying for the 2022 election,Daniels entered the race for the House District 14 seat in 2022. On August 23,2022,she easily took the Democratic Primary for House District 14,winning all of the district’s 41 precincts. Shortly thereafter,the write-in candidate withdrew from the race,securing Daniels’return to the Florida House of Representatives,this time without ever having to win a general election campaign.
Anthony Frank Sabatini is an American attorney and politician who served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 32nd district from 2018 to 2022. He was a candidate in the 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida for Florida's 7th congressional district,losing the Republican primary to Cory Mills.
Michelle Salzman is a Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives representing the state's 1st District,which includes the northern portion of Escambia County. She was elected to the seat in November 2020,after she defeated Democratic candidate Franscine Mathis in the general election. Prior to that she defeated incumbent Mike Hill in the Republican primary in August 2020.
The Parental Rights in Education Act,commonly referred to as the "Don't Say Gay" law,is a Florida state law passed in 2022 that regulates public schools in Florida. The law is most notable for its controversial sections which prohibit public schools from having "classroom discussion" or giving "classroom instruction" about sexual orientation or gender identity from kindergarten through third grade or in any manner deemed to be against state standards in all grades;prohibits public schools from adopting procedures or student support forms that maintain the confidentiality of a disclosure by a student,including of the gender identity or sexual orientation of a student,from parents;and requires public schools to bear all the costs of all lawsuits filed by aggrieved parents.
Gino Bulso is an American politician from the state of Tennessee,representing the state's 61st district in the Tennessee House of Representatives. Bulso is a managing partner of Bulso,PLC in Brentwood. He is a member of the Republican Party.
