by Bella Holly

Civil rights are the set of rights that are guaranteed to every United States citizen by the constitution. These include the right to practice religion, own a gun, speak freely, own land, and many other rights. A Philadelphia civil rights attorney may be required to seek justice if you have had any of these rights suppressed, or if you have been discriminated against based on your gender, sexual orientation, race, age, religion, or disability.

Did you know there is a difference between civil liberties and civil rights? The Bill of Rights and the Constitution guarantee the right to certain freedoms which are broad-based kinds of rights and these are civil liberties. For instance, you’re right to vote, to marry, your right to privacy and freedom of speech to name a few. Civil rights are about the individual being treated as an equal.

The federal government incorporate civil rights into the decisions of the federal court. Each state also has its own legislation for civil rights, but they cannot break or impede the limitations that the federal government has established for civil rights. Usually the states version of each right does not differ greatly from the federal government’s version in most cases and also tie in to court rulings.

In the state of Pennsylvania, a Philadelphia civil rights attorney deals with thousands of sexual orientation issues involving transgender individuals plus gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals. Pennsylvania has given wide spread support for a bill that is moving to the floor of the State House for a vote. The bill is to prohibit discrimination because of gender identity or sexual orientation in employment, public facilities and housing.

When we think of civil rights movements, we generally think of African Americans and the struggles they have gone through to make life better for their race, so that they can live freely and without prejudice. Today, Philadelphia lawyers not only defend African Americans in cases dealing with discrimination, but also people of Middle Eastern, Asian, and various other descents. Unfortunately, as long as there are prejudice people out there, there will always be a need for lawyers to defend the rights of innocent people. If you have been suffering from discrimination, please speak up. Your silence only encourages the discrimination for others to suffer through.

About the Author:
If you feel that any of your civil rights have been violated, please speak with a Philadelphia civil rights attorney to see about bringing the guilty party to justice.

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