The dictionary definition of equality is the quality or state of being equal. This concept has been applied to several different movements throughout the years and continues to be fought for today. In the UK there have been acts signed into law such as the Equality Act 2010 which prohibits employers, service providers, or providers of education from discriminating, harassing, or victimizing individuals with protected characteristics. Some of the main protected characteristics include race, age, sex, and sexual orientation. The United States has also passed equal rights bills over the years. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a revolutionary act that ended segregation in public places and banned discrimination based on race, color, natural origin, and sex.

Currently, there is a new Equality Act that is trying to be passed in the US congress. This new act focuses on the rights of members of the LGBTQ+ community. The act would provide protection in areas such as housing, employment, credit, education, public spaces and services, jury duty, and federally funded programs. This act, if passed, will amend existing civil rights laws where sexual orientation will be added to the list of protected characteristics. This act would be very important to the LGBTQ+ community and will make them feel protected and comfortable in day-to-day life.

Equality has been an issue that many Asian Americans have been struggling with during the pandemic. They have been the victims of discrimination, multiple hate crimes, and derogatory language has been used against them. The organization Stop AAPI Hate has recorded 6,603 hate incidents between March 2020 and March 2021. Equality means that everyone is treated equally and fairly. This has not been the case during this pandemic. This has caused a lot of fear for Asian Americans because they have seen the violent acts that have been executed towards others like them. To combat this rise in hate the United States Congress has passed a bill that aims at easing the access for hate crime reporting. It does this by increasing public outreach and provides online reporting services in multiple languages. Not having access to online reporting services in their native language most likely prevented many Asian Americans from reporting hate crimes they or their loved ones have been affected by. Hate has no place in the world and acts like this help the fight towards the goal of equality for all.

Equality is something that the US has not fully achieved yet, however, this does not mean that there is no hope that we will eventually get there. Equality is something that needs to be constantly worked on and acted out. Society is getting more and more accepting of people regardless of the walk of life they come from. Nowadays members of the LBTQ+ community are much more comfortable with coming out with their sexual orientation. Recently Carl Nassib a player for the Las Vegas Raiders of the NFL became the first active openly gay player in NFL history. This is something that he has been wanting to get off of his chest for a while and now feels comfortable enough to do so and share it with the world. This is an important moment because it shows that society has progressed far enough that people feel comfortable sharing their truth. Hopefully, this will pave the way for others with similar experiences.