ZIllow Now Provide Home Shoppers Data On LGBT Local Legal Protections

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 (LGBT) from discrimination.

The real estate and rental marketplace, also informed that 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."

All property listings on Zillow, including homes on and off-market, will 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 accommodations based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

"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, according to LGBT Map.

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 revealed the company 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, also informed they are 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, and they're are actively investing in more resources and products to help all underrepresented and marginalized communities safely unlock their next chapter.