State by State Guide to Laws That Prohibit Discrimination Against Transgender People

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Missouri Governor Sets New Discrimination Policy

by Chris Blank | Kansas City Star

It’s relatively basic: Laws are created after the Legislature approves a bill and the governor signs it. But that is not the only way for chief executives to enact policy.

Gov. Jay Nixon used such an alternative method earlier this month, approving an executive order that expands Missouri’s nondiscrimination policies to cover people who are gay and those who served in the military.

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Summit County, Utah Bans Anti-Gay Discrimination

by Rosemary Winters | Salt Lake City Tribune

Summit County has snagged the No. 6 spot on a growing list of Utah cities and counties that protect gay and transgender residents from discrimination.

This week, the Summit County Council voted unanimously, with two members absent but supportive, to pass two ordinances that forbid housing and employment discrimination based on a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

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Tulsa, OK City Council Approves Sexual Orientation Policy; Rejects Immigration Ordinance

by Emory Bryan | KOTV-6

Before a packed house Thursday night, The Tulsa City Council approved a new employment policy prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation.  The policy applies to city employees in every aspect of employment.

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West Valley City, Utah Passes Anti-Discrimination Ordinance

from the Associated Press

The West Valley City Council has approved an anti-discrimination ordinance to protect gay and transgender residents from discrimination in housing and employment matters.

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In Utah, Logan Adopts Ordinances to Stop Anti-Gay Bias

by Arrin Newton Brunson | Salt Lake City Tribune

In one motion, the Logan City Council on Tuesday night mandated that employers and landlords cannot discriminate against gays, lesbians or transgender people in the city limits.

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Police Officers Sue Over Antigay Harassment

by Andrew Harmon | the Advocate

If the allegations in a sexual orientation discrimination lawsuit against a Northern California police department are true, even the numerical code for a police station security gate had antigay significance.

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Gay Discrimination Measure Advances in Missouri House

by Tony Messenger | St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Civil rights legislation that would make it illegal to discriminate against gays and lesbians in Missouri moved past an obstacle Monday that had stood in its way since 2001.

The bill had a hearing in the House.

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For McDonnell, Rights Directive is ‘Balancing Act’

by Rosalind S. Helderman | Washington Post

By issuing a directive prohibiting discrimination in the state workforce, Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell this week sought middle ground on gay rights, opting for the pragmatic approach that characterized his campaign for office.

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Transgender People and Families Gather in DC for Employment Rights

Faced with staggering rates of bias in the workplace, transgender people and their families are convening on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, March 16 to advocate for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). This legislation would extend protections against discrimination on the job based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

A near-universal 97% of transgender people who responded to a survey on discrimination had experienced some level of harassment on the job, according to the National Center for Transgender Equality, organizers of the lobbying effort. Among the 6,450 people who answered the survey, a shocking 26% had been fired simply for being transgender. Rates of poverty were also stark, with transgender people with an annual income less than $10,000 at more than twice the national average. For transgender people of color, the numbers were even worse, with Latinos and African Americans in poverty at four and five times the national average respectively.

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