Civil and Human Rights Coalition Rebukes Sessions’ Rescission of Title VII Policy Protecting Transgender Workers

WASHINGTON – Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ reversal of a Justice Department policy that clarified that transgender workers are protected from discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964: 

“This announcement is the latest example of how the Trump administration and the Sessions Justice Department are undermining equal rights and dignity for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. Attorney General Sessions’ decision is yet another rollback of protections for LGBTQ people, and this one flies in the face of case law that has reached the opposite conclusion. The Sessions Justice Department must put its civil rights enforcement responsibilities above its divisive agenda and recognize that LGBTQ people deserve the full protection of our civil rights laws.” 

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.