Federal laws prohibit discrimination in areas of employment, housing , voting rights education, and access to public facilities. Federal laws also ban discrimination on the basis of race, age, sex, nationality, disability, or religion. In addition, state and local laws can prohibit discrimination in these areas and in other areas not covered by federal laws.
Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, race, religion, nationality, or color. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibits the states and their political subdivisions from imposing voting qualifications or prerequisites to voting or standards, practices, or procedures that deny or curtail the right of citizens to vote, because of race, color, or membership in a language minority group. The Fair Housing Act of 1968 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin, in connection with the sale or rental of residential housing.
Another important federal law aimed at remedying discrimination is Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA). The Act prohibits employers with 20 or more employees from discriminating because of age against employees over age 40.
Federal legislations such as The Equal Pay Act of 1963, Education Amendments of 1972, The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibit discrimination in on the basis of sex or marital status.
State and local laws also protects individuals from discrimination. For example, gays and lesbians are protected in many cities by local ordinances outlawing discrimination against individuals on the basis of sexual orientation.
The rights to protest discrimination or enforce one’s rights to equal treatment are provided in various federal and state laws, which allow for private lawsuits with the right to damages. There are also federal and state commissions to investigate and enforce equal rights.
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