With the Supreme Court recently declaring that marriage is a constitutionally protected right, and that same-sex couples have a right to marry in every state in the Union, it would be easy for people think that gay rights organizations have won and there is nothing left to fight for of…
Many younger residents of California only know about the life of Harvey Milk from the movie in which Milk was portrayed by Sean Penn. While that movie did a good job telling the story of Milk’s life and work, many in California benefited from his efforts long before they even…
Thanks to the hard work and dedication of brave GLBT individuals and advocacy organizations, gay and lesbian individuals are finally being granted a greater degree of respect. While some places, including many areas in California, are more accepting of this community than others, there is still a long way to…
Although sexual identity is not explicitly protected on the federal level for public employees, California law does provide protection, as do some local-level policies. LGBT employees have the right to enjoy a harassment-free, discrimination-free work environment. In the recent case of Flood v. Bank of Am. Corp., before the U.S.…
Transgendered employees are a protected class under California state laws and federal law. The Justice Department and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission hold it is illegal for employers to discriminate against transgendered employees. In a recent turn of legal events, Saks & Co. administrators in a federal motion asserted the…
Making legal history, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed two lawsuits against companies accused of transgender employee discrimination. The lawsuits were filed under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, offering protections against sexual discrimination. This is the first time the EEOC has taken action since federal law was…
Discrimination claims can arise in any industry or career field—even in businesses where leaders should know and follow the law. In a recent case, a law clerk who worked for a Los Angeles personal injury law firm filed a discrimination claim alleging racial and sexual orientation discrimination. The law firm…
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act, also known as ENDA, passed the Senate last fall but is no longer receiving support from the ACLU and other gay rights groups. Support was withdrawn after gay rights advocates cited concern over an employer exemption for employees who object to homosexuality on religious grounds. The…
The LGBT community has significant protections in the state of California compared to workers in many other jurisdictions. While California law offers protection against discrimination to the LGBT employees, additional protections may become available since President Barack Obama announced a decision to pass a federal executive order. Under the new…
Workplace discrimination continues to impact the LGBT community in California and nationwide. Despite intolerance, hostile work environments, and other discriminatory practices, sexual preference is not a protected class. According to the Huffington Post, Vice President Joe Biden believes that President Obama should use his executive authority to ban workplace discrimination…