Diversity Week 2011 - The LGBT Community in the Workplace: Status of Legal and Organizational Policies

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community in the Workplace: The Current Status of Legal and Organizational Policies. Atty. Martha Holt, Privacy and Security Officer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield; Bryan Schneidmuller, Manager, Human Resources, Raytheon; and Joe Santiago, Coordinator, LGBT Programs and Services. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (LGBT) face many challenges in having their sexual orientation respected in the workplace. Although President Bill Clinton, in 1998, issued Executive Order 13087, prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation for most civilian workers in the federal legislation, protecting LGBT workers has not been successfully enacted by the U.S. Congress. The primary legislative efforts include the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993; the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 1994; the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act of 2009; and the Family Leave Insurance Act of 2009. However, 21 states (including Rhode Island), and the District of Columbia, have passed laws that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. Ninety-four of the Fortune 100 businesses provide protections to sexual minorities. There is both a video and audio only version of this program