Equality Pennsylvania Slams Trump for Gutting Discrimination Protections for LGBTQ Federal Contract Employees

LINK TO THIS RELEASE: http://bit.ly/2o7ReUN

Harrisburg - March 29, 2017- Ted Martin, Executive Director, Equality Pennsylvania spoke out today against the Trump Administration's new executive order that removes the existing requirement for federal contractors to have nondiscrimination policies that cover LGBTQ employees:

"Gutting discrimination protections to LGBTQ federal contract employees is the wrong direction for America. Thankfully, Equality Pennsylvania has been able to work with Gov. Wolf to keep us on the right track here in Pennsylvania by protecting state employees and employees who work for state contractors. If jobs are what makes America great, then let's make sure that everyone has equal opportunity to get one, including gay and transgender people."

President Obama's federal contractor executive order, issued in April 2015, (Obama White House Archives) prohibited companies that contract with the federal government from discriminating in employment based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The new Trump executive order reverses those protections. Federal contractors employ more than 20 percent of the American workforce -- 28 million workers -- and collect around $500 billion in federal contracts every year.  According to the Williams Institute, an executive order will protect 11 million more American workers from discrimination based on sexual orientation and up to 14 million more workers based on gender identity. (HRC Factsheet)

In Pennsylvania, however, state employees and employees who work for state contractors are protected from discrimination because of Equality Pennsylvania's work with Gov. Wolf to pass executive orders. (PA.gov)

ABOUT EQUALITY PENNSYLVANIA

With 60,000 members across the commonwealth, Equality Pennsylvania is the leading organization advancing equality and opportunity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Pennsylvanians.