EEOC Issues Opinion on Gender Identity Discrimination

On April 20, 2012, according to Metro Weekly, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued an opinion stating that employers who discriminate against an employee or applicant based on their gender identity violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The ruling will be binding on all federal agencies and departments and is a ''big leap forward,'' according to Masen Davis, Executive Director of the Transgender Law Center. “Given the incredibly high rate of employment discrimination facing transgender people, this is incredibly significant for us. Data from the National Center for Transgender Equality and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force found that 78 percent of transgender Americans say they've experienced workplace discrimination at some point in time,'' Davis stated. ''Given that transgender people do not have employment protections in the vast majority of states, this creates a whole new fabric of legal support for our community."

Posted by GLMA, reposted at http://www.keystothecloset.blogspot.com/,