National

GSA accused of omitting LGBT people from non-discrimination rules

Omission would contravene EOs from Clinton, Obama eras

Published

9 years ago

November 6, 2017

Chris Johnson

The U.S. agency known as GSA has removed LGBT categories from its non-discrimination policy. (Photo public domain)

The U.S. General Services Administration is being accused of leaving out LGBT workers from its employment non-discrimination policy, which would contradict executive orders prohibiting such discrimination in the federal workforce, although the U.S. agency is pushing back on that claim.

David Stacy, government affairs director for the Human Rights Campaign, said Monday night in a statement the GSA, which manages functions of government agencies, removed LGBT workers from its Equal Employment Opportunity website.

That omission, Stacy said, is yet another attempt by “the Trump-Pence Administration actively seeking to undermine rights for LGBTQ people” and called for inclusion of the categories.

“The GSA’s move to exclude sexual orientation and gender identity from their Equal Employment Opportunity statement is mean-spirited, deceptive and irresponsible,” Stacy said. “The GSA’s EEO statement is meant to inform workers and applicants about their legal protections — protections that federal employees have had for decades. Cutting specific mention of sexual orientation and gender identity protections is a slap in the face to LGBTQ federal employees who proudly serve and sadly signals that this administration does not value them. The GSA should immediately restore the previous, accurate EEO policy.”

A look at the Equal Employment Opportunity statement on GSA’s website reveals no mention of prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, even though other categories — race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability and genetic information — are spelled out.

That’s different from a 2015 non-discrimination policy, which explicitly identified discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity as a subset of sex discrimination. The memo say that policy will only become outdated in 2022.

But the GSA is denying any change was made. In response to the Human Rights Campaign statement and an earlier version of this article, a GSA spokesperson said the 2015 policy “is in full effect and has not changed.” Further, the spokesperson said the information page on the GSA webpage was set up years ago — possibly as late as 2012 — and represents no change.

“GSA is proud of our diverse and talented workforce and is committed to ensuring all agency employees feel welcome,” the spokesperson said. “GSA prohibits discrimination in the workplace and will continue to make sure our employees’ legal rights are protected.”

But there’s an additional wrinkle. Acting Administrator Timothy Horne, whom Trump appointed upon his inauguration on Jan. 20., outlined the EEO policy in a memo to workers on Oct. 25 emphasizing the importance of non-discrimination in the workforce — but left out potential discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

“EEO is a critical component of GSA’s efforts to recruit, develop, and retain the most qualified, diverse workforce possible to support our agency’s multifaceted strategic mission,” Horne writes. “Toward that end, it is GSA’s policy that all employees and applicants for employment be afforded equal opportunities in employment without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, genetic information, disability or retaliation for engaging in an EEO-protected activity.”

Stacy said in a follow-up statement GSA still needs to take action to make its position clear even if the agency has retained its policy of non-discrimination against LGBT workers.

“If the GSA’s EEO policy is that protections from discrimination on the bases of sexual orientation and gender identity are still in effect, it is important that they make that clear to their employees,” Stacy said. “The email they sent to 12,000 GSA employees is unclear and misleading. And, simply saying that they are ‘committed to ensuring all agency employees feel welcome’ and that their ‘legal rights are protected’ again fails to provide the necessary clarity to LGBTQ employees.”

Any removal of sexual orientation and gender identity from GSA’s non-discrimination policy would contravene former President Bill Clinton’s executive order in 1998, which banned anti-gay discrimination in the federal workforce, and former President Barack Obama’s executive order in 2014 barring anti-trans discrimination in the federal workforce as well as anti-LGBT discrimination among federal contractors. President Trump agreed to allow those executive orders to remain standing.

Even without inclusion in the non-discrimination policy, LGBT workers at GSA should be still be able seek recourse under the Clinton and Obama executive orders and cite the 2015 memo if necessary. Federal laws against sex discrimination, which courts are increasingly interpreting to apply to LGBT people, would also cover workers there. The General Services Administration employs an estimated 12,000 federal workers.

A similar situation emerged in June when the Commerce Department under Wilbur Ross removed LGBT categories from its non-discrimination policy, but promptly reinstated them after media attention. A spokesperson at the time said the omission was an oversight and the department “never intended to change the policy or exclude any protected categories.”

NOTE: This article has been modified from its initial version to correspond to the updated response from the U.S. General Services Administration.

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Arizona

Shooting outside gay bar in Ariz. leaves three dead

Tucson police investigating double murder-suicide as a hate crime

Published

8 hours ago

September 1, 2026

Joe Reberkenny

The shooting happened outside Venture-N bar in Tucson, Ariz. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

Three people were fatally shot outside a gay bar in Tucson, Ariz., early Monday morning, about a mile from the city’s nightlife district.

Police have said the shooting, which took place in the parking lot of Venture-N bar at 1239 N. 6th Ave., was likely a hate crime and a double murder-suicide following a verbal altercation.

The suspect, Ousman Ceesay, allegedly shot Vincent Anthony Siqueiros and Cameron Davis Capara while they were outside the club around 12:30 a.m. Monday.

Reports show Capara and Siqueiros were pronounced dead at the scene. Ceesay died after being taken to a local hospital with gunshot wounds.

Police have also said that Ceesay was carrying a list of LGBTQ businesses at the time of the shooting.

Arizona Public Media has said police are investigating the case as a hate crime because the suspect was carrying a note containing the names of multiple LGBTQ-associated businesses.

“I am deeply saddened that another senseless loss of life has happened in our community,” Tucson Police Chief Monica Prieto said in a statement. “Bias-based crimes are especially heinous and have no place in our community.”

According to Prieto, there is no imminent threat to the community, and the Tucson Police Department is working to provide extra protection to various LGBTQ businesses across town.

Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva, who represents the area, issued a statement condemning the act of violence, which appears to have been at least in part motivated by homophobia.

“I am disgusted and deeply saddened to learn of a targeted act of hate and the cold-blooded murder of two members of our LGBTQIA+ community, Vincent Siqueiros and Cameron Capara, at the Venture-N bar in Tucson last night. This horrific attack is a painful reminder that even in welcoming communities like Tucson, hate and violence against the LGBTQIA+ community still exist.”

“When that hate is combined with easy access to firearms, the consequences can be deadly. I am sick and tired of Congress refusing to lift a finger to protect our communities while, every day, dozens of people are shot and killed across the country. It does not have to be this way. The House of Representatives is returning to session this week, and our first action should be passing common-sense gun safety reforms that we know can save lives.”

Other federal lawmakers also condemned the shooting.

The Congressional Equality Caucus, which is made up of federal legislators advancing LGBTQ interests, issued a statement after news broke.

“Our hearts are with the friends and loved ones of the victims of this devastating attack outside a Tucson gay bar and with the Tucson LGBTQI+ community,” it said on X. “No one should fear violence because of who they are — and we’re going to continue fighting to build a world where no one does.”

The Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ organization in the country, released a statement following the shooting.

“We are heartbroken by the loss of Vincent Anthony Siqueiros and Cameron Davis Capara and our hearts are with their families, loved ones, and the entire Tucson LGBTQ+ community. Once again, we are reminded that gun violence robs people of their lives, destroys families, and devastates communities.”

A candlelight vigil honoring the victims is planned for Sept. 2 at 6:30 p.m. at Catalina Park in North Tucson.

Congress

HRC president campaigns for Chris Pappas in NH

Gay congressman running to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen

Published

1 day ago

August 31, 2026

Michael K. Lavers

Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson, left, campaigns with U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) in Manchester, N.H., on Aug. 30, 2026. (Photo courtesy of the Human Rights Campaign)

Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson on Sunday campaigned for U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) in New Hampshire.

Robinson traveled to Manchester, the state’s largest city, nine days before the Sept. 8 primary that will determine who will vie for retiring U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)’s seat.

We’re hitting the pavement across New Hampshire to fight for a freer, fairer future for everyone.

Glad to have Human Rights Campaign President @KelleyJRobinson join us for a canvass launch in Manchester today. pic.twitter.com/XWCEaQxy4o

— Chris Pappas (@ChrisPappasNH) August 30, 2026

Former U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu, who represented New Hampshire in the U.S. Senate from 2003-2009, will face off against former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, who represented Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate from 2010-2013, in the Republican primary.

Karishma Manzur is among the Democrats challenging Pappas.

A poll the University of New Hampshire Survey Center released on Aug. 26 shows Sununu is ahead of Brown. The same survey shows Pappas ahead of Manzur and his other Democratic challengers.

The UNH Survey Center poll shows Sununu ahead of Pappas by a 45-43 percent margin if they were to face off in the general election. The margin of error is +/-2.1 percent.

Pappas would become the first openly gay man elected to the U.S. Senate if he were to win in November.

National

Milo Yiannopoulos deported to UK

ICE arrested far-right provocateur in New Orleans on Thursday

Published

4 days ago

August 28, 2026

Michael K. Lavers

Milo Yiannopoulos (Photo via Homeland Security @DHSgov/X account)

Editor’s note: The Department of Homeland Security on Saturday said Milo Yiannopoulos has been deported to the U.K.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Thursday arrested far-right provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos.

A DHS spokesperson in a statement sent to the Washington Blade said ICE arrested Yiannopoulos, who they described as “an illegal alien from the United Kingdom,” at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.

The DHS spokesperson said Yiannopoulos “legally entered the country” in New York on May 14, 2019.

“He chose to overstay his welcome in violation of our nation’s laws,” said the spokesperson.

The DHS spokesperson said an immigration judge on July 22 “issued a final order of removal” for Yiannopoulos “after failing to show up for his immigration hearing.” The Times-Picayune newspaper in New Orleans on Friday reported Yiannopoulos is being held at an ICE detention center in Alexandria, La., which is about 200 miles northwest of the Crescent City.

“He will remain in ICE custody pending removal,” said the DHS spokesperson.

Yiannopoulos has, among other things, repeatedly targeted transgender people and Muslims.

The American Conservative Union, which organizes the annual Conversative Political Action Conference, in 2017 disinvited Yiannopoulos from speaking at that year’s CPAC after a video in which he appeared to condone sex between adults and underage boys emerged. Yiannopoulos subsequently resigned from Breitbart News, a far-right news website, where he had been a senior editor.

Yiannopoulos later that year married his boyfriend in Hawaii. The far-right provocateur in 2021 claimed he was an “ex-gay.”

The Australian government in 2019 banned Yiannopoulos from entering the country “on character grounds.” Yiannopoulos was also banned from Facebook, Twitter (now X), and other social media platforms.

**Milo Yiannopoulos** speaks at a “Gays for Trump” event during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

The Times-Picayune reported Yiannopoulos “most recently worked for” Ye, formerly known as Kanye West.

The controversial rapper is scheduled to perform in New Orleans on Friday.

Laura Loomer, a far-right conspiracy theorist who is close to President Donald Trump, has called for Yiannopoulos’s deportation. Loomer on Friday wrote on X that she “reported him to ICE and the FBI” after he “called for me to be assassinated.”