WASHINGTON—Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Co-Chairs Reps. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN) released the following statement today after President Obama signed an executive order protecting federal contract workers from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
“We applaud President Obama for signing an executive order to protect employees of federal contractors from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Equally important are the protections included for transgender federal workers. No American should fear discrimination on the job because of who they are or who they love. The executive order signed today brings us one step closer to protecting the rights of all Americans in the workplace.
“Discrimination is never acceptable. Today, there are no federal laws protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) Americans from being fired for their gender identity or sexual orientation, and nearly 40% of workers who identify as LGBT report experiencing some form of employment discrimination.
“We must continue to work to prevent discrimination by passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) in the House of Representatives. Our nation does best when all Americans are protected fairly and equally on the job.”
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