On June 15th, the Supreme Court ruled that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the federal law that prohibits workplace discrimination based on sex (race, color, religion, and national origin), applies to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Currently, only 21 states have laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Those laws will remain in effect, and this ruling means federal law now provides similar protection for LGBTQ employees in the rest of the country.
To read the Supreme Court ruling, please use this link.
Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act prohibits employment discrimination by employers with 15 or more employees. State laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity vary with respect to the employee headcount threshold. Oregon’s employment discrimination laws apply to employers with one (1) or more employees, California’s employment discrimination laws apply to employers with five (5) or more employees, and Washington’s employment discrimination laws apply to employers with eight (8) or more employees.