LGBT employment discrimination in the United States
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LGBT employment discrimination in the United States is illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity is encompassed by the law's prohibition of employment discrimination on the basis of sex. Prior to the landmark cases '' Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia'' and '' R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes Inc. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission'' (2020), employment protections for LGBT people were patchwork; several states and localities explicitly prohibit harassment and bias in employment decisions on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identity, although some only cover public employees. Prior to the ''Bostock'' decision, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) interpreted Title VII to cover LGBT employees; the EEOC determined that transgender employees were protected under Title VII in 2012, and extended the protection to encompass sexual orientation in 2015.


Federal employees and law

Presidents have established certain protections for some employees of the federal government by executive order. It was not for years that a president did in fact establish an executive order in order to protect LGBT discrimination in the work force. In 1995, President
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...
's Executive Order 12968 establishing criteria for the issuance of security clearances included sexual orientation for the first time in its non-discrimination language: "The United States Government does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation in granting access to classified information." It also said that "no inference" about suitability for access to classified information "may be raised solely on the basis of the sexual orientation of the employee." Clinton's Executive Order 13087 in 1998 prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in the competitive service of the federal civilian workforce. It applied to employees of the government of the District of Columbia and the United States Postal Service and to civilian employees of the armed forces, but not to certain excepted services, such as the Central Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Clinton acknowledged its limitations in a statement: At the start of 2010, the
Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
administration included gender identity among the classes protected against discrimination under the authority of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). It was Obama's wish to further attend to LGBT civil rights not only through legislation, but also the executive branch. In 2012 the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not allow gender identity-based employment discrimination because it is a form of sex discrimination. In 2015, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission concluded that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not allow sexual orientation discrimination in employment because it is a form of sex discrimination. In March 2018, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in ''EEOC v. RG & GR Harris Funeral Homes'' that transgender people are protected by federal sex discrimination laws. By August of that year, 16 states had joined an amicus brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider the ruling. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case as '' R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes Inc. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission'' during the 2019-2020 term. On March 31, 2014, U.S. District Court Judge
Colleen Kollar-Kotelly Colleen Constance Kollar-Kotelly (born April 17, 1943) is an American lawyer serving as a Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia and was previously presiding judge of the Foreign Inte ...
ruled in the case of ''TerVeer v. Billington'', that Peter TerVeer can sue for discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, that bans sex discrimination, claiming that he faced discrimination after his boss found out that he was gay. Title VII does not explicitly protect against sexual orientation discrimination, but Judge Kollar-Kotelly's ruling leaves that a person could bring a claim under Title VII's ban on sex discrimination because an employer views an employee's sexual orientation as "not consistent with acceptable gender roles." On July 21, 2014, President Obama signed
Executive Order 13672 Executive Order 13672, signed by U.S. President Barack Obama on July 21, 2014, amended two earlier executive orders to extend protection against discrimination in hiring and employment to additional classes. It prohibited discrimination in the civil ...
, adding "gender identity" to the categories protected against discrimination in hiring in the federal civilian workforce and both "sexual orientation" and gender identity" to the categories protected against discrimination in hiring and employment on the part of federal government contractors and sub-contractors. On July 31, 2014, Obama also signed Executive Order 13673, "Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces," requiring companies with large federal contracts to prove their compliance with labor laws; this executive order, however, was revoked by President Trump on March 27, 2017. In 2017, the
Trump administration Donald Trump's tenure as the List of presidents of the United States, 45th president of the United States began with Inauguration of Donald Trump, his inauguration on January 20, 2017, and ended on January 20, 2021. Trump, a Republican Party ...
, through the Department of Justice, reversed the Obama-era policy which used Title VII to protect transgender employees from discrimination. A bill to ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), was introduced repeatedly in the U.S. Congress since 1994. Under the ENDA, it was illegal for an employer to discriminate against their employees due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Unlike the Equality Act of 1974, the main focus of the ENDA was to end employment discrimination. In 1994, the ENDA only made it illegal for employers to discriminate against employees based on their sexual orientation. By 2007, discrimination based on gender identity had been added to the law as well. In 2015, a broader bill, the Equality Act, was introduced in place of this. In March 2019, a group representing the Department of Justice's LGBTQ employees addressed a letter to Attorney General
William Barr William Pelham Barr (born May 23, 1950) is an American attorney who served as the 77th and 85th United States attorney general in the administrations of Presidents George H. W. Bush and Donald Trump. Born and raised in New York City, Barr ...
, complaining about the increasing hostility and discrimination towards the LGBTQ employees. The group also claimed that LGBTQ employees had left the department due to alleged mistreatment and that the department did nothing to recruit and retain top LGBTQ employees.


State law prior to ''Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia''

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
became the first state to ban public sector employment discrimination based on sexual orientation in 1975.
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
became the first state to ban both public and private sector employment discrimination based on sexual orientation in 1982.
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...
became the first state to ban employment discrimination based on both sexual orientation and gender identity when it passed the ''Human Rights Act'' in 1993. Currently, twenty-three states, the
District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle (Washington, D.C.), Logan Circle, Jefferson Memoria ...
, and at least 400 cities and counties have enacted bans on discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Twenty one states, the
District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle (Washington, D.C.), Logan Circle, Jefferson Memoria ...
,
Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
, and
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
have statutes that protect against both sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination in employment in the public and private sector:
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
,
Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...
,
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the ...
,
Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent ...
,
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...
,
Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...
,
Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and nor ...
,
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...
,
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
,
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...
,
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
,
New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
,HB 1319
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New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...
,
New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
,
Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
,
Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
,
Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...
,
Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...
, and
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
. Two states
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...
and
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, have acquired such protections through executive orders, court rulings or binding decisions by their respective civil rights commissions. In addition, two states,
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...
and
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
prohibit discrimination on account of sexual orientation only; gender identity is not addressed. Indiana, in accordance with ''Hively v Ivy Tech Community College'', a ruling by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and Wisconsin through a statute enacted in 1982, which made Wisconsin the first state to have private employment protections for sexual orientation. Similarly to Indiana, the Courts of Appeals for the Sixth, and Eleventh Circuits, covering
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
,
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
,
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
,
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
, Michigan,
Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...
, and
Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...
, have found sex protections in the 1964 ''Civil Rights Act'' to include the category of gender identity. Furthermore, 10 U.S. states have an executive order, administrative order, or personnel regulation prohibiting discrimination in public employment only based on either sexual orientation or gender identity:
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...
,
Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...
,
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
,
Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...
,
North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
,
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...
,
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
,
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
and
Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...
. An additional 3 states have executive orders prohibiting discrimination in public employment based on ''sexual orientation'' only:
Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U ...
,
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, and
Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
. The remaining states do not offer any type of discrimination protections for the LGBT community at the state level, although some cities and localities have passed their own ordinances within these states.


Chronological order

1972: although the first local protections were enacted this year in Michigan (in East Lansing and
Ann Arbor Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...
).
1973: District of Columbia: Mooney, Linda A., David Knox, Caroline Schacht. (2009). I
''Understanding Social Problems''
6th Edition. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. p. 467. . Google Book Search. Retrieved on January 23, 2011.

1975: Pennsylvania: Rimmerman, Craig A., Kenneth D. Wald, Clyde Wilcox. (2000). I
''The Politics of Gay Rights''
The University of Chicago Press. p. 272. . Google Book Search. Retrieved on January 23, 2011.

1979: California: Brown, Jerry.
Civil Rights
. Jerrybrown.com. Accessed: 2011-01-23.

1982: Wisconsin:
1983: New York: Quinn, Christine.
Bloomberg Must Speak Up on Gay Marriage
Gotham Gazette. 2004-03-08. Accessed: 2011-01-23.

Ohio: Resnick, Eric.

Gay People's Chronicle. 2011-01-14. Accessed: 2011-01-23.

1985: New Mexico:
. Human Rights Campaign. 2007-03-20. Accessed: 2011-01-23.

Rhode Island: Cumming, Doug.

(Fee required for access to the full article.) The Providence Journal. 1985-09-03. Accessed: 2011-01-23.
Memorandum -- Rhode Island -- Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law and Documentation of Discrimination
p. 9 (Acrobat format) (Refers to Rhode Island Executive Order No. 11 (1985) (Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Policy)). The Williams Institute. 2009-09. Accessed: 2011-01-25.

Washington: Gardner, Booth.

. Governor of Washington web site. 1985-12-24. Accessed: 2011-01-23.

1987: Oregon: Roberts pushes gay rights bill
(1991, April 17). The Associated Press via The Bulletin (Bend, Oregon), p. A-7. Retrieved January 23, 2011 via Google News Archive.

1988: Oregon: Beggs, Charles E. (1992, November 12).
Anti-gay measure voided
The Associated Press via The Bulletin (Bend, Oregon), p. A-1. Retrieved January 23, 2011 via Google News archive.

1989: Massachusetts:
1990: Colorado: Robinson, B.A.

Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. 2003-07-07. Accessed: 2011-01-23.

1991: Connecticut:
Hawaii:
Minnesota: Carlson, Arne.
Executive Order 91-4
(Adobe Acrobat format). Minnesota Legislature. 1991-01-29. Accessed: 2011-01-23.

New Jersey: Florio, James G.

The State of New Jersey. 1991-08-16. Accessed: 2011-01-23.

1992: California:
Louisiana: Louisiana -- Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law and Documentation of Discrimination
(Adobe Acrobat document). The Williams Institute. 2009-09. Accessed: 2011-01-23.

New Jersey:
Vermont:
Oregon:
1993: Minnesota:
1995: Maryland: Memorandum: Maryland -- Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law and Documentation of Discrimination
p. 7 (Acrobat format) (refers to Maryland Executive Order 01.01.1995.19 (1995) (Code of Fair Employment Practices)). The Williams Institute. 2009-09. Accessed: 2011-01-25.

Rhode Island:
1996: Illinois: The nation (map)
(1996, December 24). The Advocate, p. 20. Retrieved January 25, 2011 via Google Books search.

Louisiana:
1998: New Hampshire:
1999: Iowa:
GayLawNet. Publication date unknown. Accessed: 2011-01-25.

Nevada:
Ohio:
Delaware: Delaware Registrar of Regulations, Volume 4, Issue 9
("In December 2000, Executive Order # 83, was issued by Governor Thomas Carper, prohibiting State agencies from discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation"). Legis.delaware.gov. 2001-03. Accessed: 2010-01-25.

Iowa:
Montana: Memorandum: Montana -- Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law and Documentation of Discrimination
, p. 1 (Acrobat format). The Williams Institute. 2009-09. Accessed: 2011-01-25.

2001: Indiana: Smith, Raymond A., Donald Haider-Markel (2002). I
''Gay and Lesbian Americans and Political Participation: A Reference Handbook''
ABC-CLIO, Inc. p. 317. . Google Book Search. Retrieved on January 25, 2011.

Maine: Wills, Donald A.

(section Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Policy Statement issued 2001-01-17 by governor Angus S. King, Jr.). State of Maine Bureau of Human Resources. 2001-05-01. Accessed: 2011-01-25.

Maryland:
Rhode Island:
2002: Alaska: The State of the Workplace for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Americans 2002
, p. 5 (Acrobat format). Human Rights Campaign. 2003. Accessed: 2011-01-25.

New York:
2003: Arizona: Napolitano, Janet.
Executive Order 2003–22
(Acrobat format). Arizona State Library. 2003-06-21. Accessed: 2011-01-25.

California:
Kentucky: Lisotta, Christopher. (2003, July 8).
Kentucky tug-of-war
The Advocate, p. 15. Retrieved January 25, 2011 via Google Books.

Michigan: Stevenson, Jan.

. PrideSource. 2004-01-01. Accessed: 2011-01-26.

New Mexico:
Pennsylvania: Budoff, Carrie.

. The Philadelphia Inquirer via Illinois Gender Advocates. 2003-07-29. Accessed: 2011-01-26.

2004: Indiana: Indiana Extends Job Protections to Transgender State Employees
(Issues Alert, Acrobat format). National Center for Transgender Equality. 2004-09. Accessed: 2011-01-25.

Louisiana:
2005: Illinois:
Maine:
Virginia: Shear, Michael D., Chris L. Jenkins.

The Washington Post. 2005-12-17. Accessed: 2011-01-25.

2006: District of Columbia:
Kentucky:
. Kentucky Fairness Alliance. Spring 2006. Accessed: 2011-01-25.

New Jersey:
Washington:
2007: Colorado:
Iowa:
Kansas: Johnson, Chris.
Kansas governor signs executive order banning employment discrimination against public employees based on sexual orientation and gender identity
. Human Rights Campaign. 2007-08-31. Accessed: 2011-01-26.

Maryland: Gender Identity Discrimination
. Equality Maryland. Publication date unknown. Accessed: 2011-01-25.

Michigan: Heywood, Todd A.
Governor prohibits discrimination in state employment on the basis of gender identity, expression
The Michigan Messenger. 2007-11-26. Accessed: 2011-01-26.

Ohio:
Oregon: Runkel, Ross.

. LawMemo. 2007-05-09. Accessed: 2011-01-26.

Vermont:
2008: Kentucky:
The Equality Party (blog). 2008-06-03. Accessed: 2011-01-26.

Louisiana:
2009: Delaware: Markell Signs Landmark Equal Rights Law
. State of Delaware. 2009-07-02. Accessed: 2011-01-26.

Delaware:
New York: Scholl, Diana.
Gov. Paterson Signs Gender Expression Discrimination Executive Order, Urges Senate to Pass GENDA
. Housing Works. 2009-12-15. Accessed: 2011-01-26.

2010: Virginia: Helderman, Rosalind S.

The Washington Post. 2010-02-10. Accessed: 2011-01-25.

Missouri: Missouri nondiscrimination policy expanded to gays, veterans
. St. Louis Public Radio. 2010-07-26. Accessed: 2011-01-26.

2011: Ohio:
Massachusetts:
Hawaii: Hawaii Gov. Abercrombie signs bill preventing gender identity or expression discrimination
The Associated Press via Daily Reporter (Greenfield, Indiana). 2011-05-03. Accessed: 2011-05-04.

Nevada: Vogel, Ed.

Las Vegas Review-Journal. 2011-05-24. Accessed: 2011-05-24.

Connecticut: Edwards, David.
Connecticut governor signs law protecting transgender people
. The Raw Story. 2011-07-06. Accessed: 2011-07-07.

Alabama:
/ref>
Florida:
Georgia:
2012: Massachusetts:
2013: Puerto Rico:
Delaware:
2014: Virginia:
Maryland:
2015: Kansas:
Utah:
Guam:
2016: Montana:
New York:
North Carolina:
Louisiana:
New Hampshire:
2017: Indiana:
Louisiana:
2018: Kentucky: EEOC v. R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes
/ref>
Michigan:
Ohio:
Tennessee:
Michigan:
New Hampshire:
Pennsylvania:
Ohio:
2019: Wisconsin:
Kansas:
2020: Virginia:


Local laws


Private sector policies

Many large companies provide equal rights and benefits to their lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender employees, as measured by the
Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for ...
(HRC) through its
Corporate Equality Index The Corporate Equality Index is a report published by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation as a tool to rate American businesses on their treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees, consumers and investors. Its primary source of ...
. The 2015 report found 366 businesses achieved a top rating of 100 percent. The report also found 89% of
Fortune 500 The ''Fortune'' 500 is an annual list compiled and published by ''Fortune (magazine), Fortune'' magazine that ranks 500 of the largest United States Joint-stock company#Closely held corporations and publicly traded corporations, corporations by ...
businesses have non-discrimination policies on the basis of sexual orientation, while 66% of Fortune 500 businesses have non-discrimination policies on the basis of gender identity. Each year, corporations send thousands of employees to the Out & Equal Regional Summit, a conference that aims to create a more inclusive work environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees. There are workplace resources for how allies can create a more inclusive work environment, including programs available through PFLAG. Widespread adoption of private workplace policies may be motivated by good business sense, the Williams Institute suggests. Its conclusion is based on a set of studies that show that lesbians and gay men who have come out at work report lower levels of anxiety, less conflict between work and personal life, greater job satisfaction, more sharing of employers' goals, higher levels of satisfaction with their co-workers, more self-esteem, and better physical health.


Repeal efforts


Impact of court interpretation on cases


Statutory interpretation

Statutory interpretation is when the Court determines the meaning of a statute, using a variety of methods, to make a ruling in a case. Before ''
Bostock v. Clayton County ''Bostock v. Clayton County'', , is a landmark United States Supreme Court civil rights case in which the Court held that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees against discrimination because they are gay or transgender. ...
'' (2020), there were numerous court cases that discussed the meaning of “sex” in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Two of the more important cases involving statutory interpretation were '' Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins'' (1989) and '' Oncale v. Sundowner'' (1998). In ''Price Waterhouse'', the plaintiff,
Ann Hopkins Ann Hopkins (December 18, 1943 – June 23, 2018) was an American business manager who was the plaintiff in the landmark American employment discrimination case ''Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins''. Early life and education Ann Branigar Hopkins wa ...
, sued her employer when her proposal for partnership was dismissed and claimed it was because of her being a woman. The
Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
noted that Hopkins’ failure to meet gender norms was taken into account by Price Waterhouse when making their employment decision. The Court stated in their decision that Title VII is violated when sex-based considerations and/or gender is used to make decisions regarding employment.''Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins'', 490 U.S. 228, 109 S. Ct. 1775, 104 L. Ed. 2d 268 (1989). By using statutory interpretation in the majority opinion, the Court in ''Price Waterhouse'' expanded the interpretation of Title VII to “establish liability if a plaintiff proved sex was a “motivating” or “substantial” factor in a decision based on a mix of legitimate and illegitimate factors”. In ''Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc.'', Joseph Oncale, an employee on an oil platform crew for Sundowner Offshore Services claimed he was sexually harassed by other employees and received no support from management. Oncale proceeded to file a complaint against his employer claiming his rights under Title VII were violated by the sexual harassment that had taken place at work. The Court ruled unanimously that all discrimination based on sex was in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act regardless of the victim’s gender. The statutory interpretation by the Court allowed for a precedent to be set for deciding the outcome in same-sex harassment cases. By establishing this precedent, the Court made a statement for same-sex harassment cases that sets up the outcomes of numerous other cases centered on the question of LGBTQ protections under Title VII. In ''Bostock v. Clayton County'', Gerald Bostock, an employee of Clayton County, Georgia, expressed interest in participating in a gay recreational softball league in 2013.''Bostock v. Clayton County''. (n.d.). Oyez. https://www.oyez.org/cases/2019/17-1618 Shortly after, he was ridiculed by colleagues for his choices, including those related to his sexual orientation. After being abruptly fired for “conduct unbecoming of its employees,” Bostock filed a claim with the
EEOC The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a federal agency that was established via the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to administer and enforce civil rights laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination ...
because he believed his firing was discriminatory. Bostock lays out his argument using the plain-text approach of statutory interpretation that the Court agrees with and rules in his favor.Carter, K. (2020). Questioning the Definition of "Sex" in Title VII: Bostock v. Clayton County, GA. ''Duke J. Const. L. & Pub. Pol'y Sidebar, 15'', 66 The argument consisted of analyzing the broad meaning of “because of sex” and looking at the dictionary definition of “homosexual.” Because of this statutory groundwork, Bostock argues that discriminating against an employee for their sexual orientation “requires an employer to intentionally treat individual employees differently because of their sex,” and thus, is able to convince the Court to rule that sexual orientation discrimination violates the protections laid out in Title VII. Although the Court agrees with Bostock and rules in his favor, the use of statutory interpretation may cause a troublesome future for this precedent. A simple majority vote in
Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
would be effective in reversing the decision by the Court and overruling their interpretation of Title VII. With this thought in mind, a constitutional approach usually has larger, more controversial, political stakes than statutory approaches have.


Constitutional interpretation

Constitutional interpretation is when the Court determines the constitutionality of a bill, act, statute, law, etc. that is brought before the Court. After entering the home of John Lawrence,
Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 ...
police discovered Lawrence performing sexual acts with another man and arrested them both for breaking a Texas law.''Lawrence v. Texas'', 539 U.S. 558, 123 S. Ct. 2472, 156 L. Ed. 2d 508 (2003). In ''
Lawrence v. Texas ''Lawrence v. Texas'', 539 U.S. 558 (2003), is a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that most sanctions of criminal punishment for consensual, adult non- procreative sexual activity (commonly referred to as sod ...
'' (2003), the Texas law, which prohibited engaging with a member of your sex in a sexual act, made its way to the Supreme Court where they struck down the law because of its violation of the
Due Process Clause In United States constitutional law, a Due Process Clause is found in both the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, which prohibits arbitrary deprivation of "life, liberty, or property" by the government except a ...
of the Fourteenth Amendment. Through the moral reasoning approach, the Court expanded on the meaning of “liberty” in the Fourteenth Amendment to include those of same-sex individuals and thus protect them under that amendment. In '' United States v. Windsor'' (2013), the Supreme Court’s decision established the groundwork needed for the landmark decision in '' Obergefell v. Hodges'' in 2015. A couple married legally under Canadian law, Edith Windsor and Thea Spyer, moved to
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
where their marriage was recognized but when filing taxes for the federal government, the United States did not recognize their marriage.''United States v. Windsor''. (n.d.). Oyez. https://www.oyez.org/cases/2012/12-307 Windsor sued the federal government declaring that the Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA) was unconstitutional. After lots of input from other government agencies and branches, the Supreme Court reached a decision in 2013 confirming that DOMA creates a “disadvantage, a separate status, and so a stigma” against same-sex couples which violates their protections under the Fifth Amendment.''United States v. Windsor'', 133 S. Ct. 2675, 570 U.S. 744, 186 L. Ed. 2d 808 (2013). By using a broad understanding of ' equal protection' in the majority opinion, the Court extended the protections of the Constitution to include the LGBTQ community and set a precedent, yet again, for future cases. Even more, the Court made clear that defining marriage has always been a right of the states and not the federal government and therefore, the Court established their decision to hear and rule on the case as constitutional. This interpretation by the Court may cause mixed emotions because of their controversial manner of reversing a policy passed in a democratic way by Congress however, because of the previous statement, the Court was required to interfere to prohibit the discrimination of a specific group of people. The landmark LGBTQ rights case came in 2015 with the Supreme Court’s decision in ''Obergefell v. Hodges'' that guaranteed Fourteenth Amendment protections and liberties to same-sex couples. The majority held the prohibition against
same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...
from multiple states as unconstitutional and reflected both the judicial precedent and historical reasoning approach in their ruling.''Obergefell v. Hodges'', 135 S. Ct. 2071, 576 U.S. 644, 191 L. Ed. 2d 953 (2015). Further, the Court extended their argument by claiming that there was no legal argument for refusing same-sex couples the right to marry in any state. In the opinion, the Court reflects on
de Tocqueville Alexis Charles Henri Clérel, comte de Tocqueville (; 29 July 180516 April 1859), colloquially known as Tocqueville (), was a French aristocrat, diplomat, political scientist, political philosopher and historian. He is best known for his works ...
's description of marriage as "'the foundation of the family and of society, without which there would be neither civilization nor progress,'" from ''Maynard v. Hill'' (1888). Again, opponents of this interpretation claim the Supreme Court is overstepping their constitutional authority however, the majority definitively states that "when the rights of persons are violated, 'the Constitution requires redress by the courts.'"


LGBT people's experiences of workplace discrimination and Harassment

In 2020, 8.9% of employed LGBT people, including 11.3% of LGBT employees of color and 6.5% of white LGBT employees, reported being fired or not hired because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. 29.0% of LGBT employees of color said they were not hired because of their LGBT status, compared to 18.3% of white LGBT employees. Over half of LGBT employees who experienced discrimination or harassment at work (57.0%) said their boss or coworkers did or said something that indicated the unfair treatment was motivated by religious beliefs. In comparison to 49.4% of white LGBT employees, nearly two-thirds (63.5%) of LGBT employees of color said religion was a motivating factor in their workplace discrimination experiences.


Impact of COVID-19 on LGBTQ employment discrimination

LGBTQ people have been adversely affected by both the
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...
pandemic and the social-economic chaos. According to research by MAP(Movement Advancement Project), LGBTQ people, particularly people of color and those who are raising children, experience high rates of economic instability and are more likely to face discrimination at work and during job search as well. In comparison to 45% of non-LGBTQ people, 64% of LGBTQ people said they or an adult in their household had lost their job. This is especially concerning because LGBTQ people face higher rates of employment discrimination in general and may have difficulty finding new jobs, this number rises to 71% among Latino LGBTQ households. According to a survey conducted by HRC and PSB in April/May 2020, one-third (33%) of LGBTQ people reduced their hours of work, whereas higher rates for LGBTQ people of color (38%). In light of employment discrimination against LGBT people, the Biden administration has strengthened laws prohibiting sex discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. Also, in consultation with the attorney general, the heads of the respective agencies must ensure that existing policies are being followed and develop a plan to combat workplace discrimination.


See also

*
Equality Act (United States) The Equality Act is a bill in the United States Congress, that, if passed, would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (including titles II, III, IV, VI, VII, and IX) to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation and gende ...
* LGBT rights by country or territory * Employment discrimination law in the United States


References


Sources

* Ann E. Tweedy and Karen Yescavage,
Employment Discrimination Against Bisexuals: An Empirical Study
', 21 Wm. & Mary J. Women & L. 699 (2015) {{LGBT rights in the United States LGBT law in the United States LGBT rights in the United States History of LGBT civil rights in the United States Anti-discrimination law in the United States United States labor law Employment discrimination Industrial and organizational psychology