Equality Act Gets First Republican Co-Sponsor

On Tuesday, Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois became the first Republican to co-sponsor the Equality Act. The LGBT anti-discrimination bill is now a “bi-partisan effort in both chambers of Congress,” according to Buzzfeed.

Kirk told Buzzfeed, “Discrimination on the basis of being gay is against the law in Illinois and should be against the law nationwide.” Kirk has been a rare and outspoken Republican voice in the battle for marriage equality and LGBT rights. The Equality Act ban discrimination against people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. While the likelihood of the bill passing in a Republican dominated Congress isn’t encouraging, Kirk’s support is. Democrat and lead sponsor of the Equality Act, Sen. Jeff Merkley applauded Kirk and said, “In communities across America, Republicans and Democrats alike share a common belief that discriminating against someone just because of who they are is fundamentally wrong. It is time for all Americans to work together to end long-standing discrimination against the LGBT community.”