The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on the Equality Act on Friday, which would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to include a ban of discrimination based on sexual orientation.

In 2000 Trump, an interview with The Advocate, said “it’s only fair” that the Civil Rights Act be amended to include gay people.

“I like the idea of amending the 1964 Civil Rights Act to include a ban of discrimination based on sexual orientation. It would be simple. It would be straightforward. We don’t need to rewrite the laws currently on the books, although I do think we need to address hate-crimes legislation. But amending the Civil Rights Act would grant the same protection to gay people that we give to other Americans — it’s only fair.

I would want the best and brightest. Sexual orientation would be meaningless. I’m looking for brains and experience. If the best person for the job happens to be gay, I would certainly appoint them. One of the key problems today is that politics is such a disgrace, good people don’t go into government. I’d want to change that.”

As Chris Johnson at The Washington Blade reports, Trump has come out against the Equality Act which goes further, to amend the 1968 Fair Housing Act to protect LGBTQ people in housing, credit, employment, education, jury service, and public accommodations.

But today Trump opposes the Equality Act. A senior Trump administration official said,

“…this bill in its current form is filled with poison pills that threaten to undermine parental and conscience rights.”

Those “parental and conscience rights” are likely referring to special rights for Christians to be able to LEGALLY REFUSE SERVICE to LGBTQ people and same-sex couples, as America has seen in cases involving Christian bakers, florists, photographers, and county clerks, among others.

In explaining details of the Equality Act, Johnson says,

“In addition to transgender inclusion, the bill seeks to update federal law to include sex in the list of protected classes in public accommodation and expands the definition of public accommodations to include retail stores, banks, transportation services and health care services. Further, the Equality Act would establish that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act — a 1994 law aimed at protecting religious liberty — can’t be used to enable anti-LGBT discrimination.”

A House senior Democratic leadership aide told The Blade that Trump’s opposition to the Equality Act doesn’t change anything in terms of plans for a floor vote on Friday.

In January in her acceptance speech when sworn in as U.S. Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi mentioned her commitment to passing the Equality Act,

“We will make America fairer by passing the Equality Act to end discrimination against the LGBTQ community.”

Let’s hope so, Nancy.

(Photo, screen grab, The Advocate, House Speaker’s office; via Washington Blade)