EEOC Opinion Says Title VII Protects Transgender Workers
An opinion by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says discrimination against transgender workers amounts to sex discrimination that violates federal law.
The opinion (PDF) issued Monday says such discrimination is based on sex and a violation of Title VII. Gay Marriage Watch, the Washington Blade and the Miami Herald blog Gay South Florida have stories.
The opinion was issued as a result of a complaint by Mia Macy, who claims she was turned down for a contract job at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives after she informed a hiring official that she was transitioning from male to female. Previously, Macy says, she was promised the job as long as she passed the background check.
In a press release, the Transgender Law Center calls the opinion “a landmark opinion.” The center’s executive director, Masen Davis, called the opinion “a game changer for transgender America.”
