The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 21, 2014

FACT SHEET: Taking Action to Support LGBT Workplace Equality is Good For Business

America is built on the fundamental promise that if you work hard, and play by the rules, you can get ahead. But today, millions of Americans in most states in the country go to work every day fearing that they could lose their jobs simply because of who they are or who they love. No current federal law adequately protects lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) workers from employment discrimination. This is completely contrary to our values as Americans – and it’s also bad for business.

President Obama declared 2014 a year of action – working with Congress where they’re willing, but acting where he can when they refuse to take action. As part of this commitment to expanding opportunity for hardworking Americans, today, the President will sign an Executive Order prohibiting federal contractors from discriminating against LGBT employees and prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity in federal employment.

At a critical time for our nation’s economy, we need all of our workers to be focused on making the most of their talent, skill, and ingenuity, rather than worrying about losing their job due to discrimination. The economy functions best when workers are matched to the jobs with the best fit, maximizing their productivity, increasing wages and helping the bottom line for businesses. Discrimination is not just wrong, it also can keep qualified workers from maximizing their potential to contribute to the strengthening of our economy. For decades, companies have found that benefits and inclusive, flexible, and supportive workplace policies make it easier and more cost effective to recruit, retain, and motivate employees. The same logic applies to extending these basic protections and policies to LGBT workers.

American workers should be judged by one thing only: their ability to get the job done. That’s why the President has long supported federal legislation to explicitly prohibit employers across the country from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. For forty years, Congress has considered various pieces of legislation meant to address LGBT workplace equality. Last November, the Senate passed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) with strong bipartisan support. However, the House has failed to act.

Today’s action is consistent with the President’s commitment to advancing equality for the LGBT community, as well as his commitment to expanding opportunity for American workers and strengthening American business. And it is consistent with actions being taken by employers, including many federal contractors, across the country to support workplace equality, because they recognize it improves productivity, reduces turnover and supports their bottom line.

  • Workplace Inequality Still Impacts Millions of LGBT Workers. Today, only 18 states and the District of Columbia have laws explicitly protecting LGBT workers from being fired because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and no federal law adequately protects LGBT workers from being fired because of who they are or who they love. According to surveys and studies, more than four in ten lesbian, gay, and bisexual people have experienced some form of employment discrimination based on their sexual orientation at some point in their lives, and 90% of transgender employees have experienced harassment, mistreatment or discrimination on the job.
  • Employers Are Taking Action on Their Own to Support Workplace Equality – Because They Recognize It Is In Their Interest: According to an analysis of 36 research studies by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, “LGBT-supportive policies and workplace climates are linked to greater job commitment, improved workplace relationships, increased job satisfaction, and improved health outcomes among LGBT employees.”
  • Fortune 500 Companies Support LGBT Workplace Equality. Most of America’s major companies know that workplace equality is important to staying competitive and retaining their best talent, and as a result, nondiscrimination policies are good for business. 91% of Fortune 500 companies already prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation; and 61% already prohibit discrimination based on gender identity.
  • Small Businesses Support LGBT Workplace Equality. According to research conducted by Small Business Majority, six in ten small business owners believe that employment nondiscrimination laws improve their bottom line by helping employers attract the best and brightest employees. And of small business owners who have adopted nondiscrimination policies to protect LGBT workers, 86% report that nondiscrimination policies cost them “nothing or next to nothing,” 2% said such policies had a small but significant cost, and none said they had a substantial cost.
  • Many Federal Contractors Already Have Policies on LGBT Workplace Equality. Of the largest 50 federal contractors, which represent nearly half of all federal contracting dollars, 86% prohibit sexual orientation discrimination and 61% prohibit discrimination based on gender identity. In addition, the five top federal contractors, which receive nearly a quarter of all federal contracting dollars, already bar discrimination based on both sexual orientation and gender identity.
  • The American Public Supports LGBT Workplace Equality. A recent national survey of 1,200 registered voters found that 63% of those surveyed favor a federal law that protects LGBT people from employment discrimination. When asked specifically about LGBT nondiscrimination in federal contracting, another poll found that 73% of those surveyed favor such policies.
  • States and Local Jurisdictions Support LGBT Workplace Equality. Over the last several years, there has been significant progress in moving LGBT inclusive non-discrimination laws through statehouses and city halls across the nation. Since 2011, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Nevada have added gender identity to their existing employment non-discrimination laws. Today, 18 states and the District of Columbia have inclusive non-discrimination laws, and over 200 cities and counties – from small towns like Bozeman, Montana and Vicco, Kentucky to large cities like Houston, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia – prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Nine of the ten most populous cities in the country already have these protections in place.                        
  • Diverse Faith Communities Support LGBT Workplace Equality. A diverse range of religious communities  and organizations support workplace protections, including the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.); United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society; The Episcopal Church, the United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries; and the Union of Reform Judaism. Majorities of Christian denominations polled support workplace protections, including 76% of Catholics, 75% of white mainline Protestants, 61% of minority Protestants, and 59% of white evangelical Protestants. Another poll shows that 74% of born-again Christians favor LGBT workplace protections. 

Additional Information about President Obama’s Executive Order

Executive Order 11246, issued by President Lyndon B. Johnson, prohibits federal contractors from discriminating “against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.” President Obama’s Executive Order will add sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected categories.

President Obama’s Executive Order does not allow for any exemption beyond the one added by Executive Order 13279, issued by President George W. Bush, which permits religiously affiliated contractors to favor individuals of a particular religion when making employment decisions, by specifying that Executive Order 11246, “shall not apply to a Government contractor or subcontractor that is a religious corporation, association, educational institution, or society, with respect to the employment of individuals of a particular religion to perform work connected with the carrying on by such corporation, association, educational institution, or society of its activities. Such contractors and subcontractors are not exempted or excused from complying with the other requirements contained in this Order.” In addition, under the First Amendment, religious entities are permitted to make employment decisions about their ministers as they see fit.

Executive Order 11246 governs only federal contractors and federally-assisted construction contractors and subcontractors who do over $10,000 in Government business in one year. It does not affect grants and President Obama’s Executive Order does not impact the administration of federal grants. The Order is administered and enforced by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). As part of these duties, OFCCP conducts compliance reviews, receives complaints from individuals who believe they have been discriminated against, and provides technical assistance to contractors regarding their contractual obligations. More information can be found at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

Executive Order 11478, issued by President Nixon, bars discrimination against federal employees on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, and age, and was amended by Executive Order 13087, issued by President Clinton, to include sexual orientation. 

President Obama’s Executive Order will add gender identity to the list of protected categories.  The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and other federal agencies already apply Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to protect federal employees from discrimination on the basis of gender identity as a form of sex discrimination. The President believes it is important to explicitly prohibit – in both Executive Action and in legislation – discrimination on the basis of gender identity.

 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 20, 2014

Readout of the President’s Call with Prime Minister Abbott of Australia

This evening, President Obama spoke again with Australian Prime Minister Abbott to discuss Malaysia Airlines flight 17.  The President and Prime Minister reiterated their agreement that there must be a prompt, full, unimpeded and transparent international investigation. The two leaders also agreed that Russia has a responsibility to use its extraordinary influence with the pro-Russian separatists who control the crash site to compel them to cooperate with international monitors and investigators.  As strong allies, the President underscored that the U.S. will continue to support and coordinate closely with Australia as this issue moves forward.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 20, 2014

Readout of the President’s Call with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel

President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke again this morning by phone, their second call in three days to discuss the situation in Gaza.  The President discussed Israel’s ongoing military operation, reiterated the United States’ condemnation of attacks by Hamas against Israel, and reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself.  The President also raised serious concern about the growing number of casualties, including increasing Palestinian civilian deaths in Gaza and the loss of Israeli soldiers.

President Obama informed the Prime Minister that Secretary of State John Kerry will soon travel to Cairo to seek an immediate cessation of hostilities based on a return to the November 2012 ceasefire agreement. The President underscored that the United States will work closely with Israel and regional partners on implementing an immediate ceasefire, and stressed the need to protect civilians—in Gaza and in Israel.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 18, 2014

Readout of the President’s Call with Prime Minister Cameron of the United Kingdom

President Obama spoke today with Prime Minister Cameron of the United Kingdom.  The two discussed the shoot-down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 and agreed that an independent, full, credible, and unimpeded international investigation must begin immediately.  They also agreed that all countries should do their utmost to ensure the Russian-supported separatists grant secure access to the site of the incident.  The two leaders discussed the recent steps taken by the United States and the European Union to increase the costs to Russia, given its failure to take the concrete steps needed to de-escalate the situation, and reiterated the need to take further action if Russia continues to fail to take these steps.

The President and Prime Minister also discussed the situation in Gaza, agreeing that Israel has the right to take action to defend itself from unceasing terror attacks by rockets and through tunnels.  They agreed on the need for a ceasefire as soon as possible, noting shared concern about the risk of further escalation and the loss of more innocent life.  They also conferred about the P5+1 talks with Iran and agreed that efforts must be continued to negotiate a comprehensive agreement which assures Iran’s nuclear activities are only for peaceful purposes.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
July 18, 2014

Readout of the Vice President's Call with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko

Vice President Joe Biden spoke today with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko about the Malaysia Airlines disaster and the situation in eastern Ukraine. The two leaders discussed the need for a prompt international investigation with unimpeded access to the crash site. They also agreed that as the party responsible for arming the separatists, Russia needed to publicly call on the separatists to lay down their weapons and grant immediate access to international and Ukrainian investigators. The Vice President also stressed Russia’s obligations to support a mutual ceasefire, a roadmap for peace talks, release of hostages, an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) border monitoring mission, and most importantly, to halt the flow of heavy weapons – including anti-aircraft systems and other equipment – across the border.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 18, 2014

Readout of the President’s Call with Chancellor Merkel of Germany

President Obama and Chancellor Merkel spoke by phone today to discuss the latest information regarding the tragic downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.  They expressed condolences for the German and American victims, as well their sadness over each innocent life lost.  They reaffirmed that all parties must guarantee international investigators full, secure, and unfettered access to the incident site to conduct a thorough and credible investigation without delay.  They also noted the necessity of all evidence remaining intact and in Ukraine.

The President and the Chancellor also reviewed the actions taken by the United States and the European Union on July 16 against individuals and entities, including those from Russia, which continue to play a role in destabilizing Ukraine.  While agreeing to continue efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the current crisis, they reaffirmed their determination to remain in close contact as they consider what additional actions may be required.  They emphasized that Russia bears a clear responsibility to deny separatists in eastern Ukraine continued access to heavy weapons and other support from inside Russia.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 18, 2014

Statement by the Press Secretary on the Extension of Iran Nuclear Talks

Over the past year, the United States – in coordination with the European Union and our P5+1 partners – has undertaken an unprecedented diplomatic effort with the Islamic Republic of Iran to achieve a comprehensive solution to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.  We reached an initial milestone in November when all of the parties agreed to the Joint Plan of Action, under which Iran committed to halt the progress of its nuclear program, roll it back in key respects, and allow for unprecedented access for international inspectors in exchange for a modest amount of sanctions relief. 

As verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran has met its commitments under that initial accord – ceasing its enrichment of uranium to higher levels; taking steps to neutralize its more dangerous stockpile of nuclear material; refraining from installing more centrifuges, including its more advanced models; halting advances at its Arak reactor; and submitting to broader and far more frequent inspections of its facilities.  Meanwhile, the relief provided by the P5+1 and EU has been limited, and the overwhelming majority of our sanctions remain in force.

By preventing Iran from making progress toward a nuclear weapon, by making its nuclear program more transparent, and by keeping the pressure on Iran, the Joint Plan of Action achieved its broader purpose – providing time and space to work toward a long-term solution that would ensure that Iran’s nuclear program will be exclusively peaceful.  Over the past six months, our diplomats have engaged in intensive negotiations with Iran to reach that goal.   

Our negotiators have made progress in some areas and, while real gaps remain, there is a credible prospect for a comprehensive deal.  Because of this – and because Iran has upheld its commitments under the initial accord – we agreed today to extend the Joint Plan of Action to November 24.  This extension will allow us to continue the negotiations while ensuring that the progress of Iran’s nuclear program remains halted during the negotiations.  The issues before us are complex, and we have more work to do to resolve them.  Our goal is clear – to reach a comprehensive deal that addresses the various pathways Iran could take to obtain a nuclear weapon, by imposing strict limits on Iran’s enrichment capacity and facilities, eliminating our proliferation concerns with its Arak reactor, and establishing additional verification measures that will help us detect any covert activities or attempts to breakout as quickly as possible.

Throughout this process, we have consulted regularly with Congress, whose efforts have been critical in supporting this diplomatic opportunity.  We have also engaged closely with our regional partners and allies – particularly Israel and our Gulf partners – given our shared interest in preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and the United States’ enduring commitment to regional security.  Lastly, we have vigorously enforced the sanctions regime that remains in place, and will continue to do so throughout the duration of this extension.

Going forward, we have an opportunity to achieve a lasting, diplomatic solution that will resolve one of the most pressing national security issues of our time.  We will not accept anything less than a comprehensive resolution that meets our objectives, which is why it is necessary for negotiations to continue.  By moving forward, we will be able to preserve international unity, continue to halt the progress of Iran’s nuclear program, and pursue a comprehensive resolution that is coming into shape.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
July 18, 2014

Readout of the Vice President's Call with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk

Vice President Joe Biden spoke today with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to discuss bilateral relations, the tragedy with Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, and the situation in eastern Ukraine. The Vice President and Prime Minister reaffirmed that the United States and Poland are unshakable Allies and strategic partners.  The two leaders agreed that a prompt international investigation with safe and unimpeded access was needed to fully investigate the crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.  The leaders also discussed the situation in eastern Ukraine, noting that Russia was supplying weapons and training – including anti-aircraft weapons – to the separatists, with profoundly de-stabilizing consequences.  The Vice President and Prime Minister agreed that Russia should immediately and publicly call on the separatists to lay down their weapons and allow full access to the Malaysian Airlines crash site for international and Ukrainian investigators.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 18, 2014

Statement by the President on Nelson Mandela International Day

Today I join people around the world in celebrating Nelson Mandela International Day.  A personal hero of mine and of countless others, Nelson Mandela was one of the most influential, courageous, and profoundly decent human beings to grace the earth.  A dignified warrior for justice and equality, he caused us to believe in the promise of a better world.  Today – Madiba’s birthday – is the first time we have marked this occasion since he left this world late last year, but his impact on our lives remains palpable and his inspiration endures.  A humble and committed public servant, Madiba said this day was not to be a holiday, but one devoted to service. It was his hope that people would dedicate their time and effort to improve the conditions within their community, stating there “can be no greater gift than that of giving one’s time and energy to help others without expecting anything in return.”  We may never see the likes of Madiba again, but we can honor and emulate him by taking time today, and all other days, to engage in acts of service.  

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 18, 2014

Readout of the President’s Call with Prime Minister Abbott of Australia

President Obama spoke with Australian Prime Minister Abbott this afternoon to discuss Malaysia Airlines flight 17.  The President expressed condolences on behalf of the American people to the Australian families who lost loved ones on board the flight.  The two leaders discussed the importance of a prompt, full, unimpeded and transparent international investigation, and they stressed the need for immediate access by international investigators to the crash site.   The President underscored continuing U.S. support and cooperation with Australia as this issue unfolds, and the two leaders committed to remaining in close touch moving forward.