WASHINGTON — Tonight at the White House LGBT Pride Reception, President Obama announced he would be issuing an executive order to protect transgender federal employees from workplace discrimination.
Once issued, it would expand upon an executive order from President Bill Clinton, which banned workplace discrimination among federal employees on the basis of sexual orientation.
See speech here: www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/President-Obama-welcomes-Chicagoans-in-Pride-Month-remarks/48112.html .
Currently, there's no federal law that explicitly bans workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. And 32 states lack explicit laws banning discrimination based on gender identity, while it's legal under state law to fire or refuse employment to a person based on sexual orientation in 29 states.
National Center for Transgender Equality Executive Director Mara Keisling celebrated the announcement saying:
"It was with great honor to be able to witness President Obama announce this order from the White House Pride reception tonight. In addition to the federal contractors nondiscrimination order, President Obama's action to ban gender identity discrimination stands to protect countless numbers of transgender federal employees who have, for too long, had to hide who they are at work. Though this administration has previously interpreted existing law to cover transgender federal employees, updating the language of this executive order makes it 100% clear that transgender federal employees must be treated equally at work.
"While this Administration has been second to none on transgender rights in education, health care, and housing—this executive order provides concrete protections for the transgender federal workers who have been on the front lines implementing these changes, and the many more transgender public servants who are working daily to improve the lives of all Americans.
"Significantly, this new order gives transgender advocates new tools to advocate for further protections in the face of a gridlocked U.S. House of Representatives that refuses to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. While NCTE welcomes and celebrates this federal workers executive order, we also call on Congress to heed the demand of a majority of Americans who are pressing for these protections nationwide."
For 12 years, the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index has set key standards for equality in America's workplaces. Corporations of all sizes, regions and industries have risen to the challenge and adopted policies and practices that treat LGBT workers fairly and equally. According to HRC's research, 91 percent of Fortune 500 companies include sexual orientation in their workplace policies and 61 percent include gender identity. Also, nearly 450 major companies require their suppliers to adhere to their own LGBT-inclusive workplace policies, including more than half of the 100 largest corporations in America. These companies span 37 distinct industries and employ 13.7 million people.
Earlier this month, HRC released new public opinion research that conclusively demonstrates strong public support for federal non-discrimination workplace protections for LGBT workers. A national survey of 1,200 registered voters conducted June 6-10, 2014 by TargetPoint Consulting found that 63 percent of those surveyed favor a federal law that protects gay and transgender people from employment discrimination while only 25 percent oppose it. Enthusiasm for this is especially strong among supporters: 42 percent strongly favor it, while only 16 percent strongly oppose.
