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.

SOURCE Zillow