EEOC Seeing Flood Of Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity Discrimination Cases

Charges based on alleged sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination are rolling in to the EEOC. Commissioner Chai Feldblum recently presented an update, and noted that through June 30 of this year the agency had received 459 sexual orientation charges and 81 gender identity charges. Until recently the EEOC didn’t pursue LGBT charges because federal law does not explicitly such discrimination. The agency has changed its practice, mostly because of court decisions interpreting Title VII as addressing “sexual stereotyping” as an unlawful form of sex discrimination.