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LGBT rights activists rally at the statehouse

Jenn Cooper
/
KBIA

Dozens of people rallied at the Missouri Capitol today for what a gay and lesbian rights group has promoted as "Equality Day."

The gathering coincided with the second day of U.S. Supreme Court hearings into the Defense of Marriage Act and related issues. Several Democratic lawmakers attended the event.

Claire Cook is a regional field organizer for PROMO, the LGBT advocacy group that organized the Jefferson City rally. She said her group wants to bring awareness both to the community and to legislators.

"We filed a bill called the Missouri Nondiscrimination Act, to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the Missouri Human Rights Statute," Cook says.

The bill, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Jolie Justus of Kansas City, would legally prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in housing and employment matters.

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