National
EEOC reaches first-ever settlement in anti-gay bias case
Pallet Companies agrees to $202,200 in damages
The EEOC has reached its first-ever settlement in a case alleging anti-gay discrimination. (Image public domain)
The U.S. agency charged with enforcing federal employment non-discrimination law announced late Tuesday it has reached its first-ever settlement in a lawsuit alleging anti-gay bias in the workplace.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reached the agreement in a case against Pallet Companies, doing business as IFCO Systems, which agreed to pay $202,200 and provide significant equitable relief as a result of a lesbian employee alleging discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Filed in federal court in Maryland in June, the lawsuit alleged Pallet Companies fired a lesbian after she complained to management because her supervisor was harassing her based on sexual orientation. According to the EEOC, the supervisor made sexually suggestive gestures and numerous derogatory comments to the worker, such as “I want to turn you back into a woman” and “You would look good in a dress.”
The lawsuit was one of two that were the first EEOC filed alleging discrimination based on sexual orientation.
David Lopez, EEOC’s general counsel, said the agreement marks the first time EEOC has reached a settlement in a case alleging anti-gay bias in the the workplace.
“This consent decree marks EEOC’s first resolution of a suit challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation under Title VII,” Lopez said. “EEOC is committed to ensuring that individuals are not subjected to discriminatory treatment in workplaces based on their sexual orientation and looks forward to the day that this fundamental right is widely recognized.”
Among the stipulations required of IFOC in the two-year consent decree is paying $182,200 in monetary relief to the female employee; making a donation of $20,000 to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation to support the Human Rights Campaign’s Workplace Equality Program; and refraining from sex discrimination or retaliation in the future.
Federal law doesn’t explicitly bar discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, but the EEOC argued the prohibition on gender bias under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 covers anti-gay discrimination. The agency first reached that conclusion in the case of Baldwin v. Foxx, which the EEOC allowed to proceed under Title VII last year.
Although EEOC claims the settlement is the first the agency has reached in a lawsuit alleging anti-gay discrimination, it’s not the first time for such an agreement generally. Last year, gay worker Peter TerVeer reached a settlement of $235,000 with the Library of Congress after filing a lawsuit alleging he was fired based on anti-gay discrimination.
National
Queen Jean is Tony’s first transgender winner
Designer/activist wins for work on ‘Cats: The Jellicle Ball’
It was a historic night at the 79th annual Tony Awards on Sunday as Queen Jean won the award for Best Costume Design of a Musical, making her the first out transgender person to win a Tony.
“This experience has been monumental. We are here for the legacy of queer people, trans people,” she said. “We are taking up space in ways we have to take up space. We have to shift the paradigm. So I just want to say, thank you all so much for this incredible honor. The world right now is deeply, deeply combating so many ailments, and we know as a society that when we come together, we can make real, permanent change.”
She won the award for her work on “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” and was also nominated for best costume design of a play for “Liberation.”
In addition to her stage work, Queen Jean is the founder of Black Trans Liberation, an organization that supports trans and gender-nonconforming people in New York City.
National
Madonna turns Times Square into massive dance floor
Pop icon celebrates Pride month with surprise performance
Pop icon Madonna celebrated Pride month with a pop-up performance in New York City’s Times Square on Thursday to the delight of 50,000 fans.
She performed for about 15 minutes high above street level, including several songs from her new album “Confessions II” due on July 3, along with a trio of songs from the first “Confessions on a Dance Floor.”
In addition to the brand new “Love Sensation,” she performed “I Feel So Free” and “Bring Your Love,” plus “Hung Up,” “Get Together” and “I Love New York.” She wished the crowd a happy Pride season; the event was shared with audiences through Grindr’s first-ever livestream.
National
Gallup finds LGBTQ support among Americans is dropping
Marriage equality support lowest since 2016
Gallup, one of the leading organizations in public opinion polling, has found that LGBTQ support among Americans is dropping.
The poll, whose data was collected using Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs survey, was conducted in May and was published on Wednesday. The data was collected through telephone interviews from a sample of more than 1,000 adults living in all 50 states and D.C. using random digit dialing.
It highlights declining attitudes surrounding LGBTQ issues in multiple areas — from support for same-sex marriage to views on gender identity and the morality of one’s sexuality.
One of the most striking findings was that support for marriage equality fell six points from its 2022-2023 high.
The survey also found that 62 percent of Americans view gay and lesbian relations as morally acceptable, the lowest level since 2016 just after same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide by the U.S. Supreme Court.
One newer question on the poll found that the perceived morality of changing one’s gender has dropped eight points since 2021, indicating the American public is less supportive of transgender people.
The data attributes much of the decline to shifting Republican views alongside the party itself. Conservative leaders have pushed back against diversity, equity, and inclusion programs that were intended to foster greater acceptance of LGBTQ people and other historically disadvantaged groups.
President Donald Trump has been a guiding force behind waves of anti-LGBTQ sentiment, particularly when it comes to trans rights. The president has enacted multiple executive orders, including Executive Order 14168, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” which mandates that gender be defined by one’s sex assigned at birth. He also signed Executive Order 14183, “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,” which barred qualified trans applicants from joining the military and led to the removal of trans service members already serving in the armed forces.
Additionally, he signed Executive Order 14201, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” which prohibits trans female athletes from participating on women’s and girls’ sports teams.
In February, Gallup found that an estimated 9 percent of Americans identified as part of the LGBTQ community in some form.
The organization also found that 23 percent of adults under age 30 identify as LGBTQ, compared with 10 percent of those ages 30 to 49 and 3 percent or less among those ages 50 and older.
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