Why Vermont’s 79% Vote Is a Victory for LGBTQ+ Equality
Vermont voters approve Proposal 4, strengthening constitutional protections for LGBTQ+ people following an overwhelming election result.
Voters in Vermont have delivered an overwhelming victory for LGBTQ+ equality after supporting a constitutional amendment protecting people against discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
Proposal 4, officially known as the Equal Protection of Law Amendment, was approved during the US elections on 3 November 2026. Preliminary results showed 177,383 votes in favour and 46,777 against, representing approximately 79% support among the votes counted.
The amendment strengthens Vermont’s existing constitutional protections by explicitly prohibiting the state from denying equal treatment under the law on several grounds.
Alongside sexual orientation and gender identity, the protections cover race, ethnicity, sex, religion, disability and national origin. The wording also allows measures designed to improve equality for groups that have historically experienced discrimination.
Unlike ordinary legislation, constitutional protections cannot simply be repealed through the usual legislative process.
In Vermont, constitutional amendments must pass through the state legislature across two successive legislative sessions before receiving final approval through a public vote. Proposal 4 completed that process after lawmakers supported placing the amendment on the ballot.
Vermont already has a significant place in American LGBTQ+ history. In 2000, it became the first US state to introduce civil unions for same-sex couples, providing legal recognition and many of the state-level rights associated with marriage.
The state subsequently legalised same-sex marriage in 2009, several years before marriage equality became a nationwide constitutional right in 2015.
The latest constitutional amendment builds upon that history by placing explicit equality guarantees within the state’s highest law. Its approval comes amid continuing national disagreements over LGBTQ+ protections, particularly policies affecting transgender Americans.
Although the amendment cannot alter federal legislation, it establishes additional constitutional safeguards affecting how Vermont’s government applies its laws.
The reported 79% result remains preliminary until the final vote is certified, but the proposal has already been declared approved.
