Democrats are urging the acting chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to uphold civil rights protections for transgender and nonbinary individuals. A letter addressed to Andrea Lucas accuses the agency of neglecting its duty to protect these workers, claiming that shortly after Lucas assumed the role in January 2025, she directed the EEOC to stop processing claims related to gender identity discrimination. Furthermore, in April 2025, the agency instructed its employees to treat gender identity discrimination complaints as low priority, delaying their resolution indefinitely.
The letter also highlights the dismissal of six cases by the EEOC that involved allegations of gender identity discrimination, including a lawsuit against Boxwood Hotels for firing a transgender employee after repeated misgendering. Signed by 70 members of Congress, spearheaded by Congressman Mark Takano, the letter underscores the concerning trend of over 530 bills targeting LGBTQI+ individuals introduced in state legislatures in 2024.
Criticism is also directed at the EEOC for removing the “x” gender marker on intake forms, eliminating materials on gender identity discrimination rights and protections, and informing agencies that they will not be credited for addressing gender identity-related cases. The letter expresses alarm over the agency’s invocation of President Trump’s executive order denying the existence of transgender individuals, emphasizing the EEOC’s obligation to enforce the law, including the Supreme Court’s Bostock ruling and previous binding precedents. It emphasizes that executive orders cannot supersede established legal precedents or the EEOC’s responsibilities under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
