President Barack Obama has begun drafting an executive order that would ban workplace discrimination against LGBT employees of federal contractors. The administration has decided to force progress while Congress is stalled.
Currently only 18 states have job non-discrimination laws that covers sexual orientation and gender identity. The order is estimated to cover over 28 million workers.
The order is an extension of orders previously issued by presidents that limited employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Expected to be finalized in the coming weeks, it will become the largest expansion of LGBT workplace protection in our nation’s history.