Jeff Sessions just walked back a major transgender workers' protection

Jeff Sessions.
(Image credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has reversed transgender employees' coverage under a 1964 anti-discrimination law, a memo obtained by BuzzFeed News reveals. Sessions wrote that "Title VII's prohibition on sex discrimination encompasses discrimination between men and women but does not encompass discrimination based on gender identity per se, including transgender status," adding that the government will take this stance on any issues going forward. BuzzFeed News writes that the decision "may result in the Justice Department fighting against transgender workers in court."

Sessions added that "although federal law, including Title VII, provides various protections to transgender individuals, Title VII does not prohibit discrimination based on gender identity per se." The memo is "a conclusion of law, not policy," Sessions clarified.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.