The U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has ceased processing claims alleging discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. This decision follows President Trump’s recent executive order redefining sex and gender at the federal level, which has led to the removal of certain protections for LGBTQ+ individuals in the workplace.
Acting EEOC Chair Andrea Lucus announced the removal of the “pronoun app” from Microsoft 365, the elimination of the “x” marker on discrimination intake forms, and the removal of materials promoting gender ideology from the Commission’s internal and external communications. Additionally, the EEOC has begun reviewing its ” Know Your Rights” poster, which currently lists “sex” as a protected class, encompassing sexual orientation and gender identity. These changes align with the administration’s efforts to redefine gender as an “immutable biological classification” and to remove gender identity from federal protections.
The EEOC’s decision has sparked widespread concern among civil rights advocates. Noreen Farrell, Executive Director of Equal Rights Advocates, strongly criticized the move, calling it a “complete abdication: of the Commission’s responsibility to enforce employment discrimination laws. She pointed out that the Supreme Court’s 202 ruling in Bostock v. Clayton Cunty confined that Title VII protections extended to LGBTQ+ employees, ensuring that discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is prohibited. Farrell and other advocates argue that the EEOC’s refusal to process such claims undermines the legal rights of LGBTQ+ individuals, who already face significant barriers to equality in many areas of life, including employment. The Bostock ruling was a landmark decision that was meant to protect LGBTQ+ workers from discrimination, but the recent shift in policy threatens to weaken these hard-won protections.
The EEOC’s decision is part of a larger trend of policy changes under the Trump administration that have systematically rolled back protections for transgender and LGBTQ+ individuals. This move follows recent actions such as the suspension of the LEAP HIV prevention program for trans youth of color by the NIH as well as the removal of gender related content from government websites.
As these policy changes continue to unfold, LGBTQ+ advocates and legal experts are bracing for an uphill battle. Many are preparing to challenge these decisions in court, citing the need to uphold the legal rights of LGBTQ+ individuals and prevent further erosion of their protections. For now, advocacy groups remain committed to fighting against these shifts, working to ensure that LGBTQ+ individuals particularly those in marginalized communities retain their legal protections and access to the resources they need to live with dignity and equality.
