SEATTLE, June 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Zillow
unveiled LGBT Local Legal Protections, a data-powered
resource to help people see whether for-sale and rental
listings are in communities where state and local regulations
explicitly protect individuals who identify as Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, or Transgender (LGBTi) from
discrimination.
All property listings on Zillow, including homes on and off
market, now include information about the home's jurisdiction and
the local laws in place that protect fair and equal treatment in
housing, employment, as well as public accommodationsii
based on sexual orientation and gender identityiii.
"It's 2020, and yet, unfortunately, in many parts of
the United States, LGBTQ+ home
shoppers still face housing discrimination," said Dawn Lyon, Zillow chief corporate relations
officer. "That's why we strongly support federal-level protections
as part of the Equality Act. In lieu of federal law and in the
spirit of 'turning on the lights,' we want to give people the most
information possible when buying, renting and financing a home,
including which communities provide equal protection under the law
for all."
Currently, only 22 U.S. states and the District of Columbia offer statewide laws
explicitly prohibiting housing discrimination based on sexual
orientation and gender identity, and those laws can vary
significantly by jurisdiction.
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruled that an
existing federal law forbids job discrimination by most employers
on the basis of sexual orientation or transgender status.The ruling
stated that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which
provides protection against workplace discrimination on the basis
of sex, religion, race, and national origin, among other factors,
now also covers sexual orientation and transgender
status.
While the SCOTUS ruling is an important step forward for equal
treatment of the LGBTQ+ community in the workplace, explicit
housing and lending discrimination protections for LGBT people do
not exist at the federal level. Zillow is a proud supporter of the
Equality Act, which would add these important protections to
federal law, but is still awaiting consideration in the Senate.
According to the Zillow Consumer Housing Trends Report, only 28%
of LGBTQ+ buyers and 29% of LGBTQ+ renters completely agree with
the statement "I feel accepted for who I am by those around me
where I live," compared to 51% of cisgender heterosexual buyers,
and 40% of cisgender heterosexual renters.
Zillow is rooted in a shared belief that everyone deserves to
find a place to call home, regardless of race, color, national
origin, religion, sex, familial status, disability, sexual
orientation, or gender identity. Zillow is actively investing in
more resources and products to help all under represented and
marginalized communities safely unlock their next
chapter.
To learn more about Zillow's commitment to people, community and
home through Zillow for Good, visit ZillowGroup.com.
About Zillow
Zillow® is transforming how people buy,
sell, rent and finance homes by creating seamless real estate
transactions for today's on-demand consumer. Zillow is the leading
real estate and rental marketplace and a trusted source for data,
inspiration and knowledge among both consumers and real estate
professionals.
Zillow's proprietary data, technology and industry partnerships
put Zillow at nearly every major point of the home shopping
experience, helping consumers search for and get into their new
home faster. Zillow now offers a fully integrated home shopping
experience that includes access to for sale and rental listings,
Zillow Offers®, which provides a new, hassle-free way to buy and
sell eligible homes directly through Zillow; and Zillow Home Loans,
Zillow's affiliated lender that provides an easy way to receive
mortgage pre-approvals and financing. Zillow Premier Agent
instantly connects buyers and sellers with its network of real
estate professionals to help guide them through the home shopping
process. For renters, Zillow's innovations are streamlining the way
people search, tour, apply and pay rent for leased properties.
In addition to Zillow.com, Zillow operates the most popular
suite of mobile real estate apps, with more than two dozen apps
across all major platforms. Launched in 2006, Zillow is owned and
operated by Zillow Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:Z and ZG) and headquartered
in Seattle.
Zillow and Zillow Offers are registered trademarks of Zillow,
Inc
i Most laws are written to cover only LGBT
because "Q" ("questioning" or "queer") is not consistently defined
from a policy perspective. Therefore, the data provided by the
Movement Advancement Project does not include specific references
to people who identify as "queer" or "questioning."
ii Protection from being unfairly refused services
or entry to or from places accessible to the public (retail stores,
restaurants, parks, hotels, etc.).
iii Zillow's LGBT Local Legal Protections feature
is powered by data from the Movement Advancement Project, an
independent nonprofit organization that provides research on
equality for LGBT people.
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SOURCE Zillow