The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, is premiering a video today calling attention to the need for the Equality Act, legislation that will finally provide consistent, explicit non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people, including Black trans women. The video released today features Queen, a Black transgender woman, sharing Queen’s experience being forced into homelessness after Queen’s landlord learned Queen was transgender.

“Queen’s experience is emblematic of the reasons we need the Senate to send the Equality Act to President Biden’s desk,” said JoDee Winterhof, Senior Vice President, Policy & Political Affairs of the Human Rights Campaign. “Right now, millions of LGBTQ+ people are at risk of being denied service at a restaurant, kicked out of their homes, or dismissed from a jury because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. It’s dead wrong. That’s why we can’t stop fighting until the Equality Act is signed into law.”

“I’m speaking out for the Equality Act because I believe that voices, they can change people’s perspective,” Queen says in the new video. “Housing discrimination does not get the attention that it should. And then you add being a trans woman. Then you add being Black. You just keep adding layers to discrimination.”

No one’s civil rights should depend on the state or zip code they’re in. But in the 29 states that lack explicit nondiscrimination protections, LGBTQ+ people are at risk of being refused housing or evicted from their homes, kicked out of a business that’s open to the public, denied health care, or denied government services in a majority of states simply because of who they are. The Equality Act would change that and provide clear, consistent non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people across critical areas, including housing.

2021 is already on track to have the highest number of violent deaths of transgender and gender non-conforming people on record. HRC has tracked 37 instances of fatal violence against transgender and gender non-conforming people. Known hate crimes against transgender and gender non-conforming people have risen over the last couple of years.