Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

LGBT Equality: One Step Forward, One Giant Step Back

In less than one week, we have witnessed a major stride toward equality for all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans with President Obama’s personal support of marriage equality for same-sex couples. And yet, Obama’s endorsement does not change the laws that leave the decision up to individual states.

MCC Provides Domestic Violence Services to the LGBT CommunitiesOn Wednesday, May 16, the U.S. House of Representatives took us a giant step backward. In a 222  to 205 vote, the House approved a measure that excludes LGBT persons, along with other underserved communities of immigrants and indigenous peoples, from the reauthorization of Violence Against Women Act.

Montrose Counseling Center is extremely disappointed in the House Bill, which was crafted after Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Senate approved a different bill that did not omit these protections.

MCC supports the position of the Executive Branch, which Tuesday issued the following statement:

H.R. 4970 rolls back existing law and removes long-standing protections for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault – crimes that predominately affect women. If the President is presented with H.R. 4970, his senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill.

Montrose Counseling Center provides domestic violence services to the LGBT community. We join with other civil rights organizations, law enforcement and domestic violence service providers who strongly oppose the House version of the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization.

Facebook Posts

Latest Posts