Illinois Representative Dan Lipinski on
Wednesday announced that he will vote for the Equality Act.
Lipinski, the only House Democrat to
not co-sponsor the Equality Act, made the announcement in a speech on
the House floor.
“All Americans deserve equal
treatment under the law and should have these rights protected,
including individuals in the LGBT community," Lipinski said. "At
the same time, the free exercise of religious belief is a core ideal
of our country, protected in the Constitution and through federal
law."
"It is critical to ensure that
religious freedom stands a chance to be fully lived out and fairly
treated in court. This week, I will vote for the Equality Act for the
broader goal. But before it becomes law, we must do more to ensure
religious liberty," he added.
Last week, LGBT rights advocate GLAAD
had called on Lipinski to reverse course.
The Equality Act, which
is expected to reach a House floor vote this week, seeks to add
protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and
gender identity to existing civil rights laws.
On Monday, the Trump administration
said that the president is opposed to the legislation.
(Related: LGBT
groups respond to Trump's opposition to Equality Act: “We're
Disgusted.”)
Lipinski's primary challenger Marie
Newman had criticized his position on the Equality Act.