Zillow recently launched a data-powered resource to inform people 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.
Zillow said all its property listings 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,” Zillow Chief Corporate Relations Officer Dawn Lyon said in a release. “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.”
Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia offer statewide laws explicitly prohibiting housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
According to the Zillow Consumer Housing Trends Report, 28 percent of LGBTQ+ buyers and 29 percent of LGBTQ+ renters completely agree with the statement, “I feel accepted for who I am by those around me where I live,” compared with 51 percent of cisgender heterosexual buyers and 40 percent of cisgender heterosexual renters.