Civil Rights and Equality
Congressmember Adriano Espaillat is a tireless advocate of civil rights, and has been a champion for the LGBTQ community. As one of his first acts in Congress, he joined the LGBT Equality Caucus.
Congressmember Espaillat was also an original cosponsor of the Equality Act of 2017.
- The Equality Act ensures that the same protections already extended to other protected classes are equally available to LGBT Americans. It amends existing federal civil rights laws to explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in education, employment, housing, credit, Federal jury service, public accommodations, and the use of Federal funds.
- In some of these areas, federal law prohibiting sex discrimination has already been properly interpreted by federal courts and administrative agencies to include discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
- The Equality Act affirms that understanding of existing law and makes the prohibition against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity explicit, in order to provide greater clarity to members of the public, employers, schools, businesses and other affected parties. In areas where sex discrimination is not already prohibited, the bill amends existing law to bar discrimination on the basis of sex, as well as sexual orientation, and gender identity.
Congressmember Espaillat is also a member of the Pro Choice Caucus, and has been vocal about Equal Pay for Equal Work.
More on Civil Rights and Equality
NEW YORK, NY – Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) will host an Impeachment Forum and community ‘Speak Out' event on Monday, October 7th starting at 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the Fort Washington Collegiate Church located at 729 W 181st Street, New York, NY 10033.
Washington, DC – U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $2,400,000 in federal funding for four organizations in New York City that provide legal services to survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. The funding was allocated through the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Legal Assistance for Victims Grant (LAV) Program.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) released the following statement in recognition of National Hispanic Heritage Month.
NEW YORK, NY – Today, Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) released the following statement in recognition of the 25th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), a landmark bill that ushered in transformative progress to protect all Americans from violence and abuse. VAWA continues to provide essential support to victims, survivors and communities to ensure they have the legal tools and resources necessary to seek justice and receive care.
WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) released the following statement in recognition of the 400th anniversary of the first recorded forced arrival of enslaved African people to America.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) and Congressman Dwight Evans (PA-3) reintroduced the No Funding for Confederate Symbols Act, legislation that would prohibit Federal funds from being used to create, maintain, or display, as applicable, any Confederate symbol on Federal public land, including any highway, park, subway, Federal building, military base, street, or other Federal pr
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), joined by seven of his colleagues, introduced comprehensive legislation repealing the death penalty for a range of criminal offenses under United States Federal Criminal Code, the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Controlled Substances Act, and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
NEW YORK, NY – Today at 6:00 p.m. EDT at the House of Justice located at 106 West 145th Street, New York, Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) will host a ‘Speak Out' event to build public awareness and call for the immediate release of Americans Rakim Mayers a.k.a. A$AP Rocky, and his two team members, David Rispers Jr. and Bladimir Corniel, who have been unjustly imprisoned in Sweden for nearly three weeks. Rep. Espaillat will be joined by family members of the three Americans as well as civil rights leaders, artists and community activists.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representatives Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) and Norma J. Torres (D-CA), Co-Chairs of the Congressional New Americans Caucus, released the following statement in response to President Donald Trump's tweets asking "Progressive Democrat Congresswomen" to go back where they came from: