The Labor Department announced that the law passed two years ago regarding gender discrimination had proficient language enough to cover trans* workers’ rights. This means they’re willing to “issue guidance to make clear that discrimination on the basis of transgender status is discrimination based on sex.”
They reached this conclusion after a 2012 hearing that favored a transwoman’s case who had been found to be wrongfully discriminated against because of her gender identification, and was protected by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
In a statement from Labor Secretary Tom Perez, he explains the deciding factors behind the conclusion:
“These changes reflect current law. InMacy v. Holder, for example, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission concluded that discrimination because a person is transgender is sex discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programsand Civil Rights Center, along with theEmployment and Training Administration, will issue guidance to make clear that discrimination on the basis of transgender status is discrimination based on sex. While the department has long protected employees from sex-based discrimination, its guidance to workers and employers will explicitly clarify that this includes workers who identify as transgender. The department will continue to examine its programs to identify additional opportunities to extend the law’s full protection against discrimination to transgender workers.”
Read Tom Perez’s full blog post here.
