Ending discrimination at the state-level:
On July 29th, the Commonwealth of Virginia became the newest state to join the ‘changing landscape’ of marriage equality in the United States. The 31 states that continue to have restrictions on marriage to include “one man and one woman” are those in which state law or constitutional amendment is currently being challenged or the ban has been ruled unconstitutional but waiting to be implemented pending appeal. This June Pride Month blog highlights the U S Supreme Court Decisions that represent increased national support for marriage equality and demonstrate the growing support for LGBT civil rights.
Promoting equity for the federal workforce:
On July 21, 2014, President Obama signed a Presidential Order extending employment protection to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender workers in the federal government and its contracting agencies. The order is believed to impact on over one-fifth of the U.S. workforce. President Obama to amend and expand previous Presidential Executive Orders. In doing so, he added sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protections, and ordered the Labor Department to carry out the order. Administration officials said that means the change will probably take effect by early next year. The Executive Order does not include an exemption to allow religious groups to consider sexual orientation or gender identity in employment decisions. For an overview of the content and implications of the Executive Order, review the Fact Sheet: Taking Action to Support LGBT Workplace Equality is Good for Business.
Further updates on the steps being taken to promote LGBT equity are highlighted in this NASW blog on LGBT Pride Month 2014.
posted by: Evelyn Tomaszewski, ACSW
