Federal bill would ban LGBT discrimination; Boies and Olson support it
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Two lawyers who challenged California’s ban on same-sex marriages are backing a bill introduced on Thursday that would extend federal protections against discrimination to lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexuals.
The lawyers, Ted Olson and Davis Boies, were opponents in the controversial Bush v. Gore case. But they are joining together once again to support the Equality Act, Politico reports.
The Equality Act (PDF) has a “sweeping” reach, banning bias in areas that include employment, education, housing and public accommodations, the Blog of Legal Times reports. The bill has 40 co-sponsors, all Democrats.
The bill “would prohibit virtually every provider of goods, services and programs—from wedding photographers and bakeries to banks and doctors—from discriminating on the basis of sex, sexual orientation or gender identity,” the blog says. “Public schools, places receiving federal funding, private and public employers of more than 15 people, housing providers, creditors and federal jury selectors would be covered.”
The bill says the Religious Freedom Restoration Act could not be used as a defense to a claim covered by the law.
See also:
ABAJournal.com: “Boies and Olson reveal the backstory of the case against California’s Proposition 8 (podcast)”