THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

Statement from Director of Public Policy Emily Hecht-McGowan:

"The Family and Medical Leave Act is the only federal law helping Americans balance the demands of both work and family. Since its passage in 1993, FMLA leave has been used more than 200 million times but until today, it was not fully accessible to LGBTQ workers. The Department of Labor has done an outstanding job of ensuring full and fair implementation of the Windsor decision and this final rule is a critical step in ensuring LGBTQ workers can care for themselves and their spouses — regardless of where in the country they live — without jeopardizing their jobs or economic security.

For more information on the Family and Medical Leave Act and how it applies to LGBTQ workers and their families, please see Family Equality Council's website at the link: www.familyequality.org/get_informed/advocacy/know_your_rights/fmla_faq/ .