In the week after the U.S. House voted to approve the Equality Act, state LGBTQ advocacy groups are expected to have a significant role as part of an upcoming campaign to convince senators to support the legislation to get it to President Biden’s desk.
State equality groups — some of which are unable to endorse at the federal level, so less hampered by political affiliations than national organizations and lobbyists — are seen as local organizations able to represent constituents and have more personal influence on lawmakers, which would be key in winning over senators like Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) in the effort to find 60 votes to end a Senate filibuster.