12.19.07
Palm Beach Adds Gender Identity To Nondiscrimination Law
Palm Beach County Commissioners have unanimously approved amendments to two county ordinances which will prohibit discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations based on gender identity or expression.
The new law, which covers public and private employers with fifteen or more employees, and most real estate transactions, goes into effect on January 1.
“No one should be fired, harassed, or denied promotion simply because they don’t fit the stereotypes for masculinity or femininity,” said Rand Hoch, president of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council.
“In a matter of days, all Palm Beach County residents will be judged on the quality of their work and will given an equal chance to succeed,” said Hoch. “No longer will an employer be able to fire an employee solely because she is a woman with a masculine walk or he is a man with an effeminate voice.”
With almost 1.3 million people, Palm Beach County will become one of the nation’s largest jurisdictions to prohibit discrimination against transgender persons.
When the Palm Beach County ordinances take effect, close to 40% of the US population will live in jurisdictions where it is illegal to discriminate based on gender identity or expression.
Similar laws exist in more than 90 cities and counties across America.
Thirteen states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity or expression.
In Florida, the cities of Gulfport, Key West, Lake Worth, Miami Beach and West Palm Beach, as well as Monroe County prohibit both public and private employers from discriminating based on gender identity or expression.
The cities of Largo, Oakland Park and Wilton Manors, as well as the Village of Tequesta protect their municipal employees from discrimination based on gender identity or expression.
The Gainesville City Commission is expected to adopt an ordinance early next year which will prohibit discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations based on gender identity or expression.
Civil rights activists are also working in both Broward and Pinellas Counties to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity or expression.