70% Of Americans Support LGBT non-discrimination laws

"Americans across the country...understand that everyone should be able to live free from fear of discrimination."
From: NewNowNext

 In response to new polling, the Human Rights Campaign announced Thursday that a majority of Americans support a bill like the bipartisan Equality Act, which would extend existing civil rights protections to LGBT people.

The polling was released by the non-partisan Public Region Research Institute and involved more than 42,000 interviews in all 50 states. 70 percent of those surveyed by the institute indicated that they would support a bill like the Equality Act.

“It’s long past time for Congress to end a status quo where LGBT people remain at risk in a majority of states of being denied services or fired because of who they are or who they love,” said HRC Government Affairs Director David Stacy.

“A majority of Americans agree, whether they are living in red states or blue. Americans across the country get it, and understand that everyone should be able to live free from fear of discrimination and be able to have a fair chance to earn a living and provide for their families, including people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.”

At the moment 33 states lack definitive, fully-inclusive non-discrimination protections, leaving thousands of LGBT people at risk of being fired, denied housing or a job or refused services because of how they identify.

However, according to the poll, a majority in each individual state supports non-discrimination protections for LGBT people, including states such as Indiana, Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio, all states that lack said protections.

With strong polling like this, the Equality Act, an important and indispensable initiative that seeks to eradicate discrimination through permanent protections, has a fighting chance of turning into policy on a national level.