Two House Democrats Back Gay Housing Protections
By Carlos Santoscoy
Published: March 12, 2010
http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=5416&MediaType=1&Category=25Two House Democrats are backing a bill that would outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in the area of housing.
Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, along with Michigan Congressman John Conyers, introduced the measure Thursday at a subcommittee hearing reviewing the efficacy of the Fair Housing Act of 1968.
"Housing discrimination remains a persistent problem in our country," Nadler told the panel. "Jim Crow laws and restrictive covenants may no longer be with us, but the discriminatory attitudes and practices they represent remain. Outright discrimination, steering, a refusal to build accessible housing as required by law, and discriminatory lending practices continue to plague renters and prospective homeowners. And, shamefully, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity are perfectly legal in many areas, and people are regularly denied a place to live simply because of that status."
