Transgender workers protected under executive orders

July 22, 2014  23:40

On Monday, President Barack Obama signed executive orders effectively preventing the federal government as well as its many contracting agencies from discriminating against gay and transgender workers. According to The Associated Press, this change in federal contracting rules impacts about 24,000 companies with 28 million workers, or one-fifth of the U.S. workforce. Obama amended two executive orders to accomplish the workplace protections and align them with provisions in the Affordable Care Act prohibiting discrimination against transgendered people, Medical Daily reports.

"It's not just about doing the right thing, it's also about attracting and retaining the best talent," Obama said at a signing ceremony from the White House East Room. While many federal contractors already have nondiscrimination policies for gay employees, the new orders will cover about 14 million workers whose states or employers have not enacted such policies, the AP reported.

The first executive order amended and signed by Obama originally prohibited federal contractors from discriminating based on race, religion, gender, or nationality in hiring. Established and signed by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965, President George W. Bush amended it in 2002 to add an exemption for religious groups. Now, Obama has added sexual orientation and gender identity to the list. Obama also revised a second executive order, which had been signed by President Richard Nixon in 1969 to prevent discrimination against federal workers based on race, religion, gender, nationality, age, or disability. President Bill Clinton added sexual orientation, and now Obama is seeking to protect gender identity.

The Labor Department is expected to carry out these orders, which should take effect by early next year.

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