Discrimination

Non-Discrimination in State Employment, Housing.

This bill would protect state workers from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.

• North Carolinians face discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation every day.

• North Carolinians’ tax dollars should not be going toward potential discrimination.

• A recent study by the UCLA Williams Institute found that LGBT folks are more likely to live in poverty than heterosexual folks - even more reason for giving them a fair chance at employment.

• Inclusive policies are the standard across the country.  More than half of Americans live in jurisdictions that have prohibited this kind of discrimination.  As of 2009, North Carolina is one of 30 states without any protections for sexual orientation/gender identity for state employees.  Here in North Carolina, several cities and counties have already taken action to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

• Most large companies and Fortune 500 companies in North Carolina already have these policies in place, regardless of state or federal laws.  It's simply good business to treat all employees with equality and respect.
• Under North Carolina’s State Personnel Act, all state departments and agencies and all local political subdivisions are prohibited from discriminating in employment and compensation on the basis of race, religion, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, or handicapping condition (NCGS §126-16). However, the current law does not include protections on the basis of sexual orientation, leaving an entire class of government employees open to unfair treatment. Only employees in the Departments of Administration, Justice and State Treasurer and most UNC system institutions have protection based on sexual orientation.
  
• North Carolinians hold their government to a higher standard. They expect the State to treat its employees fairly. They expect the government to hire the most qualified candidates without regard to irrelevant characteristics like race, religion, sex, disability, and sexual orientation.
• Inclusive policies are good for business. That’s why large and small businesses have implemented inclusive non-discrimination policies, including over 415 of the Fortune 500 Companies.  That list includes North Carolina-based Duke Energy, Bank of America, Food Lion, Wachovia, Lowe’s, RJ Reynolds Tobacco, and Progress Energy. Other major North Carolina employers with such policies include: IBM, BellSouth, Cigna, Cisco Systems, US Airways, and Corning. By failing to include sexual orientation, the State makes it less likely that qualified workers who value fairness and diversity will apply for jobs, reducing the quality and effectiveness of the state workforce.