Pingree Applauds Executive Order to Prohibit LGBT Discrimination by Federal Contractors

Press Release

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today applauded a White House announcement that it will prohibit federal contractors from discriminating against employees on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

"This is an important step forward in ensuring that workers are judged on their skills and job performance, not sexual orientation or gender identity," said Pingree. "I'm proud to be from a state that already protects against this kind of discrimination in the workplace, but many states do not. The next step will be passing legislation to make sure all workers in the country have these protections--not just ones who are employed by federal contractors. But this order sends a strong message and will help protect the rights of thousands across the country."

In March, Pingree signed onto a letter with 168 members of the House and 52 of the Senate urging the President to ban federal contractors from engaging in employment discrimination for LGBT Americans.

She is also an original cosponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 (ENDA), which would extend the ban to all employers. The Senate has passed the legislation, but there has been no action in the House.

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