The Equality Act, a federal bill that would implement comprehensive protections for the LGBTQ community, passed the House of Representatives as expected on February 25 — but Republicans are preparing to introduce a watered-down alternative bill laced with provisions weakening the scope of protections.
House lawmakers passed the Equality Act by a 224-206 margin, marking the first time the bill passed the lower chamber since 2019. Just three Republicans — Tom Reed of New York’s Ithaca region, John Katko of Syracuse, and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania — voted in favor of the bill, which is down from the eight GOP lawmakers who voted for it in 2019.
