DeLauro Applauds Labor Department Rule Protecting LGBT Employees

WASHINGTON, DC—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) today issued the following statement applauding implementation of a final rule from the Department of Labor protecting LGBT employees. The rule prohibits federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

“This rule is an important step towards ending discrimination against LGBT employees. People in the workplace should only be judged based on the quality of their work, not because of who they are or who they love. I applaud Secretary Perez and President Obama for ensuring all employees of federal contractors will be treated with dignity and respect, and look forward to a day when that is true for everyone, regardless of where they work.”

DeLauro is a cosponsor of the bipartisan Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and a member of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus.

ENDA would establish basic workplace protections to prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Currently only 18 states and the District of Columbia prohibit discrimination on bases of sexual orientation and gender identity, and an additional three states prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. ENDA would provide a basic level of protection against workplace discrimination in a manner modeled closely on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and would apply to private employers as well as local, state, and federal government employers.


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