Sections on this Page

• What Is a Protected Trait?
• The 23 Protected Traits in Washington, DC
  • OHR’s downloadable flyers
  • 23 Protected Traits Definitions and Areas of Enforcement
• Outreach and Training

What Is a Protected Trait? Sections on this Page

1. Educational Institutions,
2. Employment,
3. Housing, and
4. Public accommodation and Government Services

What are the 23 Protected Traits Under the DC Human Rights Act

Below list and defines each protected trait in alphabetic order. Additionally, discrimination protections may not apply to all four areas for each trait, and the applicable enforcment areas have been specified. 

You can also download flyers with this information in English and the other top six languages below:

• The 23 Protected Traits Under the DC Human Rights Act (English)
• 23 በዲሲ ሰብዓዊ መብቶች አዋጅ ስር ጥበቃ የሚደረግላቸው ባህሪያት (Amharic)
• 《哥伦比亚特区人权法案》所规定的 23 个受保护特征 (Chinese)
• 23 caractéristiques protégées en vertu de la Loi sur les droits de la personne (Human Rights Act) de DC (French)
• DC 인권법(DC Human Rights Act)에 따른 23가지 보호 특성 (Korean)
• 23 Características protegidas bajo la Ley de Derechos Humanos del DC (Spanish)
• 23 Đặc Điểm Được Bảo Vệ Theo Đạo Luật Nhân Quyền DC (Vietnamese)

The 23 Protected Traits Definitions and Areas of Enforcement

1. Age:
   • Definition: 18 years of age or older
   • Areas of Enforcement: educational institutions, employment, housing, and public accommodation and government services
2. Color:
   • Definition: skin pigmentation, including variations in skin pigmentation
   • Areas of Enforcement: educational institutions, employment, housing, and public accommodation and government services
3. Credit Information:
   • Definition: any written, oral, or other communication of information bearing on an employee's creditworthiness, credit standing, credit capacity, credit score, or credit history.
   • Area of Enforcement: employment
4. Disability:
   • Definition: a physical or mental impairment substantially limiting one or more major life activities; physical can include auditory, speech, visual, and/or neurological impairments and mental can include cognitive and learning impairments
   • Areas of Enforcement: educational institutions, employment, housing, and public accommodation and government services
5. Family Responsibilities:
   • Definition: supporting an individual in a legal dependent or blood relationship, which includes, but is not limited to children, grandchildren, and parents
   • Areas of Enforcement: educational institutions, employment, housing, and public accommodation and government services
6. Familial Status:
   • Definition: a pregnant individual or a parent, guardian, or caregiver who has legal status with respect to children under the age of 18
   • Areas of Enforcement: educational institutions, housing, and public accommodation and government services
7. Gender Identity & Expression:
   • Definition: a gender-related identity, appearance, expression, or behavior of an individual, regardless of the individual’s assigned sex at birth
   • Areas of Enforcement: educational institutions, employment, housing, and public accommodation and government services
8. Genetic Information:
   • Definition: an individual’s DNA or genetic predisposition, a family member’s genetic predisposition; information resulting from requests for genetic testing, or history which may indicate the likelihood or increase risk of an individual’s predisposition to develop a disease, illness, syndrome, or condition
   • Areas of Enforcement: employment, and public accommodation and government services
9. Homeless Status:
   • Definition: an individual, family, or youth who lacks, lost, or will imminently lose a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, which can include the result of escaping an unsafe environment
   • Areas of Enforcement: educational institutions, employment, housing, and public accommodation and government services
10. Marital Status:
    • Definition: married, in a domestic partnership, single, divorced, separated or widowed, and the usual conditions associated therewith, including pregnancy or parenthood
    • Areas of Enforcement: educational institutions, employment, housing, and public accommodation and government services
11. Matriculation:
    • Definition: being enrolled in a college, university, or some type of secondary school or program, including vocational programs
    • Areas of Enforcement: employment, housing, and public accommodation and government services
12. National Origin:
    • Definition: the state, country, or nation state where an individual or their ancestors are from
    • Areas of Enforcement: educational institutions, employment, housing, and public accommodation and government services
13. Personal Appearance:
    • Definition: outward appearance, irrespective of sex and gender identity or expression, including hair style and color, facial hair, tattoos, body size or shape, and body piercings, subject to business requirements and standards
    • Areas of Enforcement: educational institutions, employment, housing, and public accommodation and government services
14. Place of Residence or Business:
    • Definition: the geographical location of home or work
    • Areas of Enforcement: housing, and public accommodation and government services
15. Political Affiliation:
    • Definition: the state of belonging to or endorsing any political party
    • Areas of Enforcement: educational institutions, employment, housing, and public accommodation and government services
16. Race:
    • Definition: classification or association based on an individual’s ancestry, ethnicity and/or physical traits
    • Areas of Enforcement: educational institutions, employment, housing, and public accommodation and government services
17. Religion:
    • Definition: a personal set or institutionalized system of attitudes, beliefs, and practices relating to a supernatural force or being, or its equivalent in secular faiths, including the presence or absence of commitment or devotion to any faith
    • Areas of Enforcement: educational institutions, employment, housing, and public accommodation and government services
18. Sealed Eviction Record:
    • Definition: an eviction record that has been sealed by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for specific reasons or upon motion by the tenant demonstrating that sealing is warranted
    • Area of Enforcement: housing
19. Sex:
    • Definition: the state of being biologically male, female, or intersex including medical conditions and reproductive health decisions associated therewith
    • Areas of Enforcement: educational institutions, employment, housing, and public accommodation and government services
20. Sexual Orientation:
    • Definition: an individual’s romantic and/or sexual attraction for another person(s); includes relationship types such as aromantic, ethical non-monogamy, open relationships, polyamory, etc.
    • Areas of Enforcement: educational institutions, employment, housing, and public accommodation and government services
21. Source of Income:
    • Definition: the origination of an individual’s personal and professional finances, including from housing choice vouchers (Section 8), emergency assistance payments, SSI Income, alimony, and disability benefit programs
    • Areas of Enforcement: educational institutions, housing, and public accommodation and government services
22. Status as a Victim or Family Member of a Victim of Domestic Violence, a Sexual Offense, or Stalking (DVSOS):
    • Definition: when an individual is a victim or family member of a victim of domestic violence, sexual offense, or stalking
    • Area of Enforcement: employment
23. Status as a Victim of an Intrafamily Offense:
    • Definition: an individual, their family, or a household member who is a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and/or cruelty to the victim’s animal
    • Area of Enforcement: housing

Outreach and Training

In FY23, OHR created a series of posts to our social media account that highlighted the 23 protected traits under the DC Human Rights Act. This campaign, entitled 'Protected Trait Tuesday' these posts were translated into the top six languages in DC, and included topics such as: which traits apply to which four areas of enforcement (educational institutions, employment, housing, and public accommodation and government. 

OHR's Communication and Community Engagement (CCE) team offers a 90-minute ‘Know Your Rights’ training session that deep dives into understanding the 23 protected traits. If you are interested in requesting or attending, please sign up for our newsletter or contact [email protected].

This webpage was last updated on February 24, 2025