Transgenders now have job protection thanks to EEOC Opinion

[UrbScotty]

A ruling by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission means that transgender people who are discriminated against now may have recourse under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination "based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin." The opinion issued April 23 in the case of Macy v. Holder is the first time the EEOC has ruled on whether discrimination against transgender people is discrimination based on sex. And now, officially, it is.

Courts at various levels have come to a similar conclusion over the past few years, but the EEOC sets the rules that the entire country must follow, including the 34 states that currently don't have employment protections specifically for transgender people.

Equality activists in Michigan are pleased with the decision. "This ruling is a major advancement in transgender rights that will be a significant tool to fight discrimination," said Rachel Crandall, co-founder of Transgender Michigan. "It will also help us to advocate for still needed protections in the Elliot Larsen and other Michigan ordinances."

In Michigan, while transgender individuals are now more protected under the EEOC ruling, gay, lesbian and bisexual people can still be fired if their employer does not want to have gay people working for them, and transgender people can still be fired for reasons not related to sex discrimination. Because Michigan is an "at will" state, employers can fire employees without reason - except for reasons that are prohibited by the Federal Civil Rights Act.

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