LQBTQ+ Rights
in the Workplace
On this section of our website, BCLA is providing information and references to Federal and NJ state legal codes and department policies. This information is not a form of legal advice, and our community members should consult an appropriately qualified attorney if they wish to know how any particular law or regulation applies to their specific circumstances.
Know your rights as a member of the LGBTQ+ Community!
Here on this page you can find resources for understanding, protecting, and enforcing the rights in the workplace.
Workplace Rights
Protections under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act
Employers with 15 or more employees are prohibited by Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act from discriminating on the basis of sex. Some courts have ruled that Title VII also bans discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. In addition, many states and cities have laws that ban this kind of discrimination. [1]
This summary of Legal Protections for LGBTQ+ People is provided by the private non-profit organization Pride at Work.
You can read this Title VII factsheet from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for details about Title VII protections. In addition, the U.S. Department of Labor Resources LGBTQI Policy page has further resources and information about a range of topics related to LGBTQ+ rights in the workplace.
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Further Workplace Rights Resources
During the hiring process, many kinds of interview questions are illegal to ask. Certain topics related to race and ethnicity, age, gender, sex and sexual orientation, and more, are not valid to ask candidate about. See this Illegal Interview Questions article for more information about what is legal or illegal during a hiring interview.
UCLA Report on LGBTQ+ Workplace Discrimination & Harassment. This report from the UCLA Williams Institute School of Law uses survey data results to examine the workplace disctimination experiences of members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Your Rights when Coming Out at Work. This article from a private law firm in California describes many of the the issues LGBTQ+ persons face when considering coming out in their workplace.