A Missouri proposal protecting LGBTQ residents from discrimination was struck down in the state senate Wednesday morning.
Sen. Jill Schupp (D) proposed an amendment to a Missouri lawsuit bill, granting LGBTQ antidiscrimination protections across the state in employment, housing, and public accommodation matters. The measure was voted down 20-10.
The Republican-backed lawsuit bill is aimed at making discrimination lawsuits harder to file in the state. Plaintiffs would have to prove that they were discriminated against based on a status protected by the state government. Under the Missouri Human Rights Act, that includes race, religion, nationality, disability, sex, ancestry, and color—but not sexual orientation. Age is also protected in employment, as is family status in housing. Because the LGBTQ amendment was struck down, it could be harder for LGBTQ citizens to file for antidiscrimination cases in court.
Missouri joins several other states in striking down LGBTQ antidiscrimination measures in the past month. The Montana State Legislature voted down a bill that would have protected queer and transgender citizens under the Montana Human Rights Act. The Arkansas Supreme Court effectively nullified LGBTQ protections within the state’s municipalities. A Oklahoma state bill could remove LGBTQ protections across cities, forcing citizens to defer to the state government. And in North Carolina, a repeal of H.B. 2 was panned for its inability to protect LGBTQ citizens in the long-term.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer also hinted that an anti-LGBTQ “religious freedom” executive order is on its way from the federal government. President Donald Trump’s domestic policy chair on his transition team confirmed that the executive order was redrafted recently, leading LGBTQ activists to speculate when the order will be announced.
