The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently reversed a 2014 memo that interpreted the Civil Rights Act to protect transgender workers. The DOJ then issued a new memo arguing that Title VII, the civil rights statute that outlaws certain kinds of workplace discrimination, does not cover discrimination on the basis of gender identity.
Sexual violence affects every demographic and every community – including LGBTQ+ people. According to the 2015 US Trans Survey, 37% of transgender women and 41% of non-binary assigned male at birth people have experienced sexual assault in their lifetimes.[1] That rate is greater than one in three, compared to the rate typically cited for cisgender women, which is one in six.[2]
We are unwavering in the fight to protect the rights of our clients. We do not need an interpretation to know that #TransRightsAreHumanRights.
Note: In Illinois, there are anti-discrimination laws that include gender identity protections at the state level, transgender people here can file lawsuits if they are discriminated against.
[1] James, S. E., Herman, J. L., Rankin, S., Keisling, M., Mottet, L., & Anafi, M. (2016). The Report of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey. Washington, DC: National Center for Transgender Equality.