Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Groundbreaking Trans Positive EEOC Ruling

An employer who discriminates against an employee or applicant on the basis of the person's gender identity is violating the prohibition on sex discrimination contained in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

That is according to an April 20 opinion issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that could be a game changer in terms of positively altering the legal landscape for trans workers in the United States.

The ruling occurred in the case of Mia Macy, who was denied employment with the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) as a ballistics technician after the agency leaned about her transition.

She contacted the Transgender Law Center, who took up Ms Macy's case

The EEOC decision was issued without objection by the five-member bipartisan commission and applies to all EEOC enforcement and litigation activities at the commission and in its 53 field offices throughout the country. It also will be binding on all federal agencies and departments.

This is fantastic news and continues a trend of trans positive employment legal rulings.

No comments: