Barbara walters equality gay rights

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans made tremendous strides toward equality in But their fight is far from over. Not everyone was happy with the decision, however. Both Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and former Arkansas Gov. Republican Gov. But opponents said otherwise, arguing the law would serve as a license to discriminate against LGBT people on religious grounds.

Like it or not, though, Jenner put transgender rights on the map like never before. Amid the celebration over nationwide marriage equality, a grim refrain began to circulate throughout the country: In most states, a same-sex couple could get married on a Saturday and then fired for being gay on a Monday.

While current law offers some recourse to the same-sex couple in that scenario -- they can file a claim with the U. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, for example, which has ruled that federally prohibited sex discrimination covers discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity -- it is true that LGBT Americans have no explicit federal protections from discrimination in employment, housing or public accommodations.

The Equality Act, introduced this year, would have changed thatbut the bill never went anywhere in the Republican-controlled Congress. In lieu of a federal law, LGBT advocates have been pushing for nondiscrimination protections at the state and local level -- a strategy that has proved successful in over cities so far, and 18 states.

The year's biggest stories in LGBT equality, and the fights still to come

But the effort hit a major snag last month, when transphobic attacks warning about sexaul predators preying on girls in the bathroom managed to sink a broad civil rights ordinance in Houston, Texas, known as HERO. According to a report released last month by the Human Rights Campaign, at least 21 transgender people were murdered since January -- more than in any other year that advocates have recorded.

Nearly all of the victims were transgender women of color. Lawmakers are now starting to turn their attention to the disproportionate level of violence faced by transgender people -- particularly transgender women of color. But more work will undoubtedly have to be done in the years to come in order to reduce the high rates of violence experienced within the transgender community, as well as the underlying causes that help drive it: unemployment, homelessness, poverty, and policing.

IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Skip to Content. Share this —. Follow msnbc. By Emma Margolin, Emma Margolin.