MassEquality Responds to EEOC decision to Add Sexual Orientation to Federal Employment Law

BOSTON — July 21, 2015 — In response to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) decision to amend Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act to include protection from employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, MassEquality’s Director of Legislative and Political Affairs Krina Patel released the following statement: 

“MassEquality applauds the EEOC’s decision and we’re incredibly hopeful that this landmark ruling will catalyze even more legal protections on the federal level. In Massachusetts, sexual orientation is protected in the areas of housing, employment, credit, education, and public spaces. However, transgender people are protected in all of those areas except for public spaces; a significant gap in our civil rights law that needs to be fixed. As we move forward to address this issue in Massachusetts, we are encouraged by the recent announcement that federal legislation will be introduced in Congress this week to provide sweeping civil rights protections for LGBT people across the country. We strongly encourage our federal elected officials to swiftly pass this legislation and bring us one step closer to fully lived equality.” Krina Patel, Director of Legislative and Political Affairs 

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MassEquality is the leading statewide grassroots advocacy organization working to ensure that everyone across Massachusetts can thrive from cradle to grave without discrimination and oppression based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.