NCLR Applauds Executive Order Barring Federal Contractors from Discriminating Against LGBT Workers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Joseph Rendeiro
(202) 776-1566
jrendeiro@nclr.org

Today, President Obama signed an executive order banning federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. NCLR (National Council of La Raza) applauds the administration for taking this bold move to guarantee workplace protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered Americans, many of whom are Latino. Numerous polls, including a survey commissioned by NCLR, show that the Hispanic community overwhelmingly supports legal protections for LGBT workers. 

“NCLR has long held the belief that the workplace should be a level playing field where people can succeed or fail based on their own merits,” said Eric Rodriguez, Vice President of the Office of Research, Advocacy and Legislation at NCLR. “Unfortunately, far too many states in this country do not have the types of protections in place that would prevent employers from firing a person simply because of his or her sexual orientation or gender identity. While the president’s action today is a critical step toward remedying this injustice, much more needs to be done. In order to ensure that all LGBT Americans are treated equally within the workplace, the House of Representatives must pass a long-overdue legislative solution that extends beyond federal contractors—the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.”

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