Interview: Equality California executive director discusses Equality Act

Sonseeahray Tonsall interviews Rick Chavez Zbur

HOUSING DISCRIMINATION INEMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION ANDDISCRIMINATION IN ACCESS TOPUBLIC PLACES LIKERESTAURANTS.THOSE ARE THE TARGETS OFTHE EQUALITY AT NEWLY PASSEDBY THE U.S. HOUSE OFREPRESENTATIVES, THE MEASUREWOULD AMEND THE CIVIL RIGHTSACT OF 1964 TO CEMENTPROTECTIONS AGAINST BIAS BASEDON ORIENTATION AND GENDERIDENTITY.

3 REPUBLICANS JOINEDHOUSE DEMOCRATS IN THIS 224 TO2 O 6 VOTE.

IT'S A MEASURETHAT'S BEEN CALLED A QUOTEONSLAUGHT AGAINST FREEDOM BYHOUSE MINORITY LEADER INCALIFORNIA KEVIN MCCARTHY.WE'RE JOINED NOW BY RICKCHAVEZ ABIR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOROF EQUALITY CALIFORNIA ANDRICK WHAT SAY YOU TO THAT ISTHIS AN ONSLAUGHT AGAINSTFREEDOM.OF COURSE, NOT I MEAN THISIS ABOUT BASIC EQUALITY ABOUTBASIC RESPECT AND ACCEPTANCETHAT 83% OF ALL AMERICANSSUPPORT THE EQUALITY ACT, 63%OF REPUBLICANS AND A MAJORITYOF PEOPLE IN EVERY STATE ANDSUPPORT THE EQUALITY ACT.

ANDIT'S REALLY ABOUT JUST BASICFAIRNESS GIVING EVERYONE CIVILPROTECTIONS THAT THEY DESERVEAND EMPLOYMENT AND IN HOUSINGAND PUBLIC CREDIT AND AREAS ASWELL.I THINK MOST CALIFORNIANSHEAR ABOUT THE PROTECTIONS,THE SEC SEEKS TO ENSHRINE WITHTHINK ISN'T THIS WHAT'SHAPPENING ALREADY WHY DO WENEED TO DO THIS AND SO WHATWOULD THIS CHANGE INCALIFORNIA IF ANYTHING WHATWOULD IT CHANGE ELSEWHERE.THERE'S 29 STATES WHERETHEY'RE NOT LGBTQ PLUS CIVILRIGHTS PROTECTIONS, EMBODIEDIN STATE LAW.

WE DO HAVE THESTRONGEST LGBTQ CIVIL RIGHTSPROTECTIONS OF ANY STATE INTHE COUNTRY.

BUT CALIFORNIANSCARE ABOUT OUR FRIENDS ANDNEIGHBORS AND OTHERCALIFORNIANS WE TRAVEL ANDWORK IN OTHER STATES AS WELL.OUR CIVIL RIGHTS PROTECTIONS,SHOULDN'T THE HOUSE AND YOUKNOW SHOULDN'T BE PUSHED OUTTHE DOOR JUST BECAUSE WE DRIVEACROSS THE BORDER INTOARIZONA.

THIS WOULD GIVE FULLNO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE.CONTROVERSIAL CONGRESSWOMANMARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE SAYSTHIS ACT WILL DAMAGE WOMEN'SRIGHTS CITING THE PROVISIONSTHAT WOULD ALLOW BIOLOGICALMEN TO COMPETE AGAINSTBIOLOGICAL WOMEN IN SPORTS, ASINHERENTLY UNFAIR PLACINGBIOLOGICAL MALES AND LOCKERROOMS SHOWER AREAS WITH YOUNGGIRLS.

WHAT ABOUT THESECONCERNS.AND WE KNOW THAT THOSE AREREAL CONCERNS.

I MEAN THOSEARE FEAR TACTICS THAT.

THESE QAND ON RIGHT WING FOLKS HAVEYOU KNOW THE.

ESSENTIALLY WHATTHIS DOES IS IT BASICALLYALLOWS FOR BASIC CIVIL RIGHTSPROTECTIONS IN ALL THESE BASICAREAS.

ACROSS THE COUNTRY ANDIN FACT THE COMMENTS THAT THECONGRESSWOMAN MADE THIS ONE OFTHE REASONS WHY I THINK IT'SIMPORTANT TO PASS THESE THINGSI MEAN WE KNOW WHATTRANSGENDER YOU HER FACE ANDTHEIR SCHOOLS, THE KIND OFDISCRIMINATION AND THEBULLYING THAT THEY FACE.

ANDYOU KNOW THESE KINDS OFCOMMENTS WHICH DRAW UPON FEARAND HATE.

ARE THE VERY REASONSWHY WE NEED THIS BILL TO BEPASSED.AND SHE ACTUALLY DID PUT UPA SIGN ON HER OFFICE STOREDIRECTLY ACROSS FROM.

A FELLOWMEMBER OF THE HOUSE WHO HAS ATRANSGENDER CHILD ALREADY BEENSOME YOU KNOW RESULTINGCONFLICT FROM THIS TO WHATYOU'RE SPEAKING TO THIS ACTWITH TA TO FIND SOMETHING THATTHE SUPREME COURT HAS ALREADYRULED ON.

BUT IT'S LOOKING ATA VERY DIFFICULT ROAD THROUGHTHE SENATE SO WHAT IS YOURHOPE HERE DOES IT HAVE ANYCHANCE IN YOUR OPINION.YEAH, I MEAN WE WE DOBELIEVE THAT IT HAS A CHANCEIN PART BECAUSE IT'S SUCH AHIGH PRIORITY FOR PRESIDENTBIDEN VICE PRESIDENT HARRISAND BECAUSE OF THE DEMOCRATICLEADERSHIP IN THE SENATE WHICHIS MADE IT A HIGH ALREADY YOUKNOW WE DO NEED TO EITHER GET60 VOTES.

WE KNOW THAT THERE'SA MAJORITY OF MEMBERS OF THESENATE TO SUPPORT THIS BILL INPART BECAUSE THE AMERICANPUBLIC SUPPORTS ITOVERWHELMINGLY, BUT WE NEED TOGET TO EITHER 60 VOTES NEEDSTO BE CHANGES IN THE SENATERULES THAT ALLOW THIS TO BEPASSED WITH A MAJORITY OF THESENATORS WHO SUPPORTED AND OFCOURSE THAT'S THAT CHALLENGEAND THE GOAL AND WHAT WE'REGOING TO BE WORKING VERY HARDTO ACHIEVE AND THAT OVER THEALL RIGHT, THANK YOU SOMUCH FOR JOINING US THISMORNING AND GIVING US YOURINSIGHT ON THIS OF COURSEWE'LL BE TRACKING THE BILLTHANK YOU.THANK YOU VERY MUCHAPPRECIATE IT.