U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced today that the Justice Department will now consider transgender workers as protected by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 under Title VII.
“This important shift will ensure that the protections of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 are extended to those who suffer discrimination based on gender identity, including transgender status,” said Holder. “This will help to foster fair and consistent treatment for all claimants. And it reaffirms the Justice Department’s commitment to protecting the civil rights of all Americans.”
“No one should ever have to fear losing their job because of who they are,” said GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “Today, Attorney General Holder has sided with justice for millions of transgender Americans, who simply want the same opportunity to earn a living while bringing their authentic selves to work."
The Washington Blade reported:
According to a news statement accompanying the memo, the document is intended to foster consistent treatment of claimants throughout the government and to clarify the Justice Department’s ability to file Title VII claims against state and local public employers on behalf of transgender individuals.
As a result of his determination, Holder says in the memo the Justice Department will no longer assert Title VII’s prohibition of gender discrimination “does not encompass gender identity per se (including transgender discrimination).”
It remains to be seen what consequences the memo will have on individual claims of transgender discrimination in the workforce. Holder says the memo isn’t intended to “otherwise prescribe the course of litigation or defenses that should be raised in any particular employment discrimination
case.”
- See more at: http://www.washingtonblade.com/2014/12/18/holder-announces-title-vii-cov...
According to a news statement accompanying the memo, the document is intended to foster consistent treatment of claimants throughout the government and to clarify the Justice Department’s ability to file Title VII claims against state and local public employers on behalf of transgender individuals.
As a result of his determination, Holder says in the memo the Justice Department will no longer assert Title VII’s prohibition of gender discrimination “does not encompass gender identity per se (including transgender discrimination).”
It remains to be seen what consequences the memo will have on individual claims of transgender discrimination in the workforce. Holder says the memo isn’t intended to “otherwise prescribe the course of litigation or defenses that should be raised in any particular employment discrimination
case.”