The California Senate has passed bill #SB403, which prohibits caste discrimination, with an overwhelming majority of 34-1, making California the first state in the US to implement an anti-caste law.
“On behalf of all Dalit Californians and caste-oppressed people around the world, we are ecstatic that the California Senate has passed SB403 off the Senate floor,” said Equality Labs founder Thenmozhi Soundararajan.
“This is a win rooted in years of Dalit feminist organizing, and we are just getting started in making the state safe for our entire caste-oppressed community. We know that we have a long journey ahead of us with this bill, but we have made history with this vote and are proud to look forward to working with the California Assembly on this historic bill,” she said while her organisation Equality Labs is thanking all of the partners in Californians for caste equity.
The bill adds caste as a protected categoryin the state’s anti-discrimination laws. Dalits in the US have been increasingly calling for legislation saying they face caste bias in the United States.
