The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on the Equality Act this week and ahead of voting Apple CEO, Tim Cook asks the legislators “to come together and get it done” in a tweet. As an advocate of equal rights for all, Apple launched new Racial Equity and Justice Initiative with a $100 million pledge to build global innovation and learning hub for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Since 2015, U.S legislators have been working on this inclusive act (H.R. 5). If passed, it would ban discrimination based on gender, sex, and sexual orientation in all 50 states of the country. The primary focus of the act is to provide protection to women and the LBGTQ community against discrimination at educational institutions, workplaces, and others. However, the act faces opposition from Republican Representatives who believe that the act would infringe on people’s religious beliefs.
Apple CEO, Tim Cook reiterates support for the Equality Act
Apple publically supports Human Rights for all, especially the marginalized sections like the women, and Black and Brown communities by various professional, educational, and social initiatives like Apple Entrepreneur Camp for Black and Female founders and developers, educational partnership with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Launch@Apple, and others. Therefore, in his message on Twitter, Cook wrote,
The Equality Act reflects in law the fact that every person deserves dignity & respect, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity—at work, at home and in the public square. We strongly support its passage, and we encourage Congress to come together and get it done.
The Equality Act was passed with 236 to 173 votes in May 2019, by the U.S House of Representatives, it finds that,
Discrimination can occur on the basis of the sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition of an individual, as well as because of sex-based stereotypes. Each of these factors alone can serve as the basis for discrimination, and each is a form of sex discrimination.
Therefore, the bill is waiting to become law which would “prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation, and for other purposes.”
In his election campaign, 46th American President Joe Biden said that this bill would be a top legislative priority for the first 100 days of his presidency. And now, it is reported that ahead of voting, President Biden re-affirmed his support for the act and wrote,
The Equality Act provides long-overdue federal civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ Americans, preventing discrimination in our housing, education, public services, and lending systems. I urge Congress to swiftly pass this historic legislation.
The Equality Act reflects in law the fact that every person deserves dignity & respect, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity—at work, at home and in the public square. We strongly support its passage, and we encourage Congress to come together and get it done.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) February 23, 2021
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