Banning sexual orientation/gender identity bias in fed-assisted housing
For millions of gay and lesbian Americans, the federal Fair Housing Act may provide protection against discrimination based on race or national origin, but no protection from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Even more remarkable, federal regulation still does not bar discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity even in federally assisted housing.
There are more than four million units of federally assisted housing in the United States, and the federal government must no longer be a silent partner in discrimination against the LGBT community.
There is a long tradition of taking the initial step of prohibiting discrimination on the federal level by means of an Executive Order. That is exactly what President Kennedy did when he signed Executive Order 11063 in November, 1962.
That Executive Order prohibited discrimination in federally assisted housing on the basis of race, color, creed, or national origin. As subsequently amended by Executive Orders 12259 and 12892, discrimination in federally assisted housing is now prohibited on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), sex, disability, familial status or national origin.
President Kennedy told the news conference at which he announced his Executive Order that it was “neither proper nor equitable that Americans should be denied the benefits of housing owned by the Federal Government or financed through Federal assistance on the basis of their race, color, creed, or national orgin.”
He continued: “Our national policy is equal opportunity for all…”
Today, 46 years after President Kennedy acted, is surely is “neither proper nor equitable” for Americans to be denied this housing on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
We urge President Obama to issue an Executive Order extending the principle of equal opportunity in federally assisted housing to the LBGT community; we ask other organizations to join with us in demanding this down payment on basic fairness; and we ask localities to pass resolutions of support.
Our thanks to the Housing Rights Center in Los Angeles for providing the impetus for this effort.