EEOC Proposes to Make Abortion and ‘Misgendering’ Workplace Harassment Claims
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) just proposed new workplace enforcement guidelines to include pregnancy (and the decision to abort) and “misgendering” as bases for claims of workplace harassment.
The proposed guidelines would serve as a massive, unilateral rewrite of federal law by unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.
The new guidance is titled, “PROPOSED Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace.” The guidance would stipulate that sex-based harassment claims include:
- [Claims] based on a woman’s reproductive decisions, such as decisions about contraception or abortion.
- Discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity … including how that identity is expressed.
According to the proposed EEOC guidelines, American workers would violate federal equal opportunity employment law by the “intentional and repeated use of a name or pronoun inconsistent with [an] individual’s gender identity (misgendering).”
This means it would be illegal for Americans to refer to their coworkers by their given name and pronouns consistent with their biological sex, if those words differed from an individual’s “preferred name” and “preferred pronouns.”
The EEOC also says that the “denial of access of a bathroom or other sex-segregated facility consistent with the individual’s gender identity” would violate federal law.
This change would have broad and far-reaching consequences across the nation, likely impacting all workplace employees, with no carveouts for faith-based institutions or religious workplaces.
According to Family Policy Alliance, a Focus on the Family-allied organization, the Administration is “bullying businesses into adopting a definition of harassment in the workplace that includes calling someone by the wrong pronoun and allowing men to use women’s restrooms.”
Family Policy Alliance adds,
In the façade of so-called “equality” lies the truth that Americans are being forced to speak and think according to the script of radical gender and abortion advocates. Now, the EEOC wants to ensure businesses follow this mantra as dogma with little assurances for protecting people of faith.
Harassment should be taken seriously in the workplace. But, this proposal only distracts from these goals and puts women, minors in the workplace, and people of conviction and faith at risk.
Employees should not be forced to deny biological reality. No one should be forced to adhere to the pro-abortion-until-birth mantra of the left.
This proposed guidance from the EEOC is just the latest in a string of anti-biological reality actions taken by the Administration in recent days.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), headed by Rachel Levine, born male and formerly known as Richard, issued a “transgender pronoun mandate” on its employees. The mandate forces HHS employees to affirm any coworker’s “gender identity” and “preferred pronouns.”
The EEOC has five commissioners who head the agency; three were appointed by Democrat presidents and two were appointed by a Republican president.
The agency’s decline is a sad marker in American history.
Prior to being appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, stalwart constitutionalist Justice Clarence Thomas served as the Chair of the EEOC under former President Ronald Reagan.
Now the agency is trying to force Americans to use “trans pronouns.”
The EEOC must accept public comments for 30 days prior to finalizing the new guidelines. The public comment period ends on November 1.
Please, take action today to stop the EEOC’s proposed workplace harassment guidelines. You can send a message directly to the EEOC through Family Policy Alliance’s message system by clicking here.
Focus on the Family exists to help families, and that includes help navigating the issues of homosexuality and transgenderism. Focus offers a free, one-time counseling consultation with a licensed or pastoral counselor. To request a consultation, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) or fill out our Counseling Consultation Request Form.
Related articles and resources:
Counseling Consultation & Referrals
Addressing Gender Identity with Honesty and Compassion
The Journey Back to My True Identity
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Zachary Mettler is a writer/analyst for the Daily Citizen at Focus on the Family. In his role, he writes about current political issues, U.S. history, political philosophy, and culture. Mettler earned his Bachelor’s degree from William Jessup University and is an alumnus of the Young Leaders Program at The Heritage Foundation. In addition to the Daily Citizen, his written pieces have appeared in the Daily Wire, the Washington Times, the Washington Examiner, Newsweek, Townhall, the Daily Signal, the Christian Post, Charisma News and other outlets.