National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum Applauds LGBT Legislation

The National Asian Pacific American Women applauded lawmakers introduction of the Equality Act, federal legislation that would extend LGBT Americans the same level of protection from discrimination guaranteed to other groups under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If passed, this would ensure LGBT Americans protection from discrimination in education, employment, housing, public accommodation and other areas.
�
"The National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF) applauds the introduction of federal legislation to protect the LGBT community from discrimination," said NAPAWF Executive Director Miriam Yeung.

Yeung noted that there are an estimated 5.1 million LGBT adult women in the United States, and 4.3 percent of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women identify as LGBT. Advancing LGBT rights is not only key to furthering reproductive justice work, but it is also integral to NAPAWF's broader movement to advance social justice and human rights for all AAPI women.
�
Surveys of AAPI LGBT people uncovered shockingly high rates of sexual orientation discrimination. Between 75 to 82 percent of AAPI LGBT people said they had been discriminated against at work because of sexual orientation.
�
"With the Supreme Court's recent decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, the U.S. is making positive strides to protect and defend the rights of LGBT community members," said Yeung. "However, when someone is fired from their job, denied service by a business or excluded from educational opportunities because they are LGBT, we, as a nation, fall down."�
�
The Equality Act is key to protecting the LGBT community from discrimination and, in some instances, will increase discrimination protection for all women, noted Yeung. For example, if passed, The Equality Act would add protections against sex discrimination to the public accommodations section of the Civil Rights Act. NAPAWF applauds each legislative step toward greater rights and protections for our community.
��
The National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF) is the only multi-issue, progressive, community organizing, and policy advocacy organization for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women and girls in the U.S. NAPAWF's mission is to build a movement to advance social justice and human rights for Asian and Pacific Islander women and girls.