Vermont votes to add LGBTQ+ equal protections to the state constitution
Vermont voters approve Proposal 4 to add LGBTQ+ equal protections to the state constitution. (Getty Images)
Vermont voters have approved Proposal 4, a constitutional amendment that explicitly adds protections for LGBTQ+ people to the state constitution’s equal protection guarantees.
The Associated Press called the result just after 11pm Eastern Time on 4 November, after Vermonters voted to approve the amendment.
Proposal 4 adds explicit equal protection language covering sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. It also lists race, ethnicity, sex, religion, disability and national origin. The approved text adds a new article to the Vermont Constitution and includes a provision setting Tuesday (3 November) as the effective date after voters ratify it.
What does Vermont’s Proposal 4 change?
Supporters have argued that spelling out these protections in the constitution matters both symbolically and legally, because it makes the guarantee harder to roll back than an ordinary law and can shape how courts interpret rights in future cases.
“Proposal 4 is about constitutional clarity,” Rev. Mark Hughes, executive director of the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance, told Vermont Public in May. “It’s about ensuring that equal protection under the law is explicit and also that it’s enforceable.”
The approved text of Proposal 4 also preserves Vermont’s ability to adopt measures intended to provide equal treatment and opportunity for groups that have historically faced discrimination.
How did Proposal 4 get on the ballot?
The ballot question followed overwhelming support in the state legislature. In March, the Vermont Senate backed the proposal by 29-0, before the House voted 128-14 in May. In Vermont, a proposed constitutional amendment has to be passed by two consecutive legislatures before it can be put to voters.
When presenting the proposal in May, state Rep. Barbara Rachelson said: “The federal Constitution represents a floor, not a ceiling, of rights. It shows us the minimum we can do, not the maximum,” adding that Vermont should develop its own approach to equal protection rather than relying solely on the federal Constitution.
Vermont is widely seen as one of the most LGBTQ+-friendly US states, and the vote lands at a moment when many advocates across the country have pushed for state-level safeguards amid uncertainty around federal protections.
A similar push played out in 2024, when New Yorkers passed an Equal Rights Amendment, Prop 1, to defend abortion and LGBTQ+ rights in the state.
