A
year
ago,
the
Supreme
Court
deemed
it
unlawful
to
otherwise
discriminate
against
individuals
based
on
their
sexual
orientation
or
gender
identity
in
Bostock
v.
Clayton
County,
Georgia,
a
decision
that
has
become
a
historic
milestone
for
LGBTQ+
rights.
The
Court
explained
that
an
employer
who
discriminates
based
on
sexual
orientation
or
transgender
status
necessarily
discriminates
based
on
sex
because
the
discrimination
is
based
on
the
masculine
or
feminine
stereotypes
assigned
to
a
specific
sex.
The
U.S.
Equal
Employment
Opportunity
Commission
(EEOC)
and
other
courts
have
interpreted
Bostock
to
extend
the
same
Title
VII
prohibition
against
sex
discrimination
and
harassment
to
cover
sexual
orientation
and
gender
identity
discrimination
and
harassment.
The
EEOC
observed
Bostock’s
one-year
anniversary
by
announcing
the
release
of
new
educational
resources
that
explain
employees’
right
to
be
free
from
sexual
orientation
and
gender
identity
discrimination
in
employment.
The
new
resources
include
a
landing
page
and
a
technical
assistance
document
to
help
the
public
understand
Bostock
and
the
EEOC’s
position
on
sexual
orientation
and
gender
identity
discrimination.
The
landing
page
consolidates
statistics,
fact
sheets,
information
about
the
scope
of
protections
against
discrimination,
information
about
harassment
and
retaliation,
and
the
steps
for
filing
a
discrimination
charge
with
the
EEOC.
The
information
does
not
provide
a
new
policy
but
rather
provides
concise,
accessible
information
about
existing
requirements
under
the
law.
Notably,
the
EEOC’s
opinions
do
not
have
the
force
of
law
but
are
highly
influential
in
how
courts
interpret
employment
law.
EEOC
Guidance
