Democrats Demand Action on Transgender Rights at EEOC
Congressional Democrats are pushing for the acting chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to safeguard civil rights for transgender and nonbinary individuals, following actions perceived as discriminatory. The letter alleges that the agency has faltered in its duty to shield these workers.
Allegations of Discrimination
A letter sent to Andrea Lucas, the EEOC’s acting chair, alleges that the agency has neglected its responsibility towards transgender and nonbinary employees. The document states that shortly after her appointment in January 2025, Lucas instructed the EEOC to cease processing gender identity discrimination claims. In April 2025, the agency classified such complaints as the lowest priority.
The letter highlights the EEOC’s dismissal of six prior cases concerning gender identity discrimination, including a lawsuit against Boxwood Hotels. The employer in that case allegedly fired a transgender worker after the employee’s manager continually misgendered them.
BREAKING: Democrats are demanding the acting chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforce civil rights protections for transgender and nonbinary people.
A letter to Andrea Lucas, a copy of which was viewed by the Guardian, alleges the agency has “abdicated this responsibility under the law when it comes to transgender and nonbinary workers”.
“The commission is supposed to be an independent agency, and as a commissioner and its acting chair, your job is to enforce the law. The supreme court’s ruling in Bostock is the law of the land, and the commission’s previous cases… are binding precedents on the agency,”
— Letter to Andrea Lucas
The letter, spearheaded by 70 members of Congress including Mark Takano, Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, and Suzanne Bonamici, also addresses that the EEOC eliminated the “x” gender marker on intake forms. In 2024, over 530 bills targeting LGBTQ+ people were introduced in state legislatures across the U.S., according to a report by the American Progress organization.
Controversial Actions
The EEOC also removed materials concerning rights and protections related to gender identity discrimination. Furthermore, a memorandum was issued to fair employment practices agencies, indicating that they would not get credit for intakes or resolutions linked to gender identity. The letter indicated that the agency invoked President Trump’s executive order.
The letter stated that the commission should be an independent agency. It should enforce the law, specifically the Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock. The ruling, along with previous cases, sets precedents. An executive order cannot overturn those precedents or the commission’s obligations under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
