U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

Introduction

Executive Order 13087, issued on May 28, 1998, prohibits discrimination based upon sexual orientation within Executive Branch civilian employment. The Executive Order states this policy uniformly by adding sexual orientation to the list of categories for which discrimination is prohibited. The other categories are race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap, and age. On May 2, 2000, Executive Order 13153 added "status as a parent" to the list of categories for which discrimination is prohibited.

It is the policy of the Federal Government to provide an equal opportunity to all of its employees. Federal employees should be able to perform their jobs in workplaces free from discrimination-whether that discrimination is based on color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap, age or sexual orientation. The President's Executive Order states, as a matter of Federal policy, that a person's sexual orientation should not be the basis for the denial of a job or a promotion. As the Nation's largest employer, the Federal Government sets an example for other employers that employment discrimination based upon sexual orientation is not acceptable.

Existing Federal law prohibits discrimination in certain employment decisions when the decisions are based upon conduct that does not adversely affect employee performance. Federal employees should be able to perform their jobs in workplaces free from discrimination.

The new Executive Order amends section 1 of Executive Order 11478 (1969), which now reads, in part, as follows:

Under and by virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and statutes of the United States, it is ordered as follows:

Section 1. It is the policy of the Government of the United States to provide equal opportunity in Federal employment for all persons to prohibit discrimination in employment because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap, age, or sexual orientation through a continuing affirmative program in each executive department and agency. This policy of equal employment opportunity applies to and must be an integral part of every aspect of personnel policy and practice in the employment, development, advancement, and treatment of civilian employees of the Federal Government, to the extent permitted by law.