NIH is committed to a diverse workforce and an inclusive workplace. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex (LGBTI) community is an integral aspect of our human diversity. NIH has included equal employment opportunity protections for employees on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and parental status in the NIH Director’s Annual EEO and Diversity Policy Statement. To complement this, NIH developed and implemented an internal complaint process to provide employees with an internal avenue of redress for complaints based on these sexual orientation and transgender to comport with Health and Human Services policy and recent case decisions. Executive Order 13087 prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and requires federal agencies to administer a process to address allegations of discrimination based on sexual orientation.
OEODM is launching this effort to increase education and awareness of the LGBTI community by establishing a formal LGBTI Special Emphasis Program. OEODM hopes to collaborate with the NIH LGBTI employee resource groups to further increase awareness, equality and inclusion for this critical NIH population.