The Fight for Nondiscrimination Ramps Up

August 22, 2019

The movement secures a series of wins when governors in Louisiana, Montana, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania sign executive orders protecting LGBT state employees. Additionally, nine states modernize gender marker policies, providing better protections and access to services for transgender residents.

However, anti-LGBT opponents pivot to launch efforts to dismantle nondiscrimination protections through religious exemptions. In Georgia, two years of public education investments pay off when faith, business, and conservative leaders speak out against religiously-motivated discrimination, leading Governor Nathan Deal to veto anti-LGBT legislation.

Federally, the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education issue guidance that protects transgender students from discrimination and the Department of Defense lifts the ban on transgender people serving openly in the U.S. military.