The Senate judiciary committee held a hearing on Wednesday to discuss the Equality Act, a bill that would extend federal civil rights protections to LGBTQ+ people.
Watch in the video player above.
The legislation is a top priority of President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress. Yet after winning approval in the House, the Equality Act’s prospects in the Senate seem bleak, largely because of opposition from conservative religious leaders.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Southern Baptist Convention have come out strongly against the act, saying it discriminates against people of faith and threatens religious liberty.
The bill would amend civil rights law to cover sexual orientation and gender identity, with protections for employment, housing, education and public accommodations such as restaurants, theaters, hotels, libraries and retail stores.
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