[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 82 (Thursday, May 16, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E617]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            THE EQUALITY ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. SYLVIA R. GARCIA

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 16, 2019

  Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong and 
steadfast support of the Equality Act.
  We've made a lot of progress in recent years, but the reality is that 
many still face discrimination because of who they are and the people 
they love.
  In Texas, the discrimination and inequality faced by the LGBTQ 
community is heartbreaking and entirely un-American, but with the 
Equality Act we can do something about it.
  The Equality Act will greatly extend civil rights for the LGBTQ 
community, providing consistent and explicit protections from 
discrimination for LGBTQ people across key areas of life including 
employment, housing, credit, and education.
  In Texas, that means having explicit protections for LGBTQ people for 
the first time in our history. Updating federal law will tear down 
barriers to prosperity and lead to better outcomes for our family 
members, neighbors, and loved-ones.
  This is long overdue for nearly 1 million LGBTQ Texans and is why I 
urge all of my colleagues to make the Equality Act the law of the land.