FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Stephanie Franklin, Interim Director of Policy & Communications – 202.727.1145; [email protected]

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – The District of Columbia Office of Human Rights (OHR) has released a new resource for employers as part of its ongoing work to reduce employment discrimination against transgender and gender non-conforming job applicants.  This free resource, titled “Hired and Transgender: Self-Testing for Hiring Bias against Transgender Applicants,” provides step-by-step instructions for employers, human resources professionals, and hiring managers to evaluate their hiring practices for discrimination based on gender identity and make changes as needed. 

This important new resource is a continuation of OHR’s groundbreaking report “Qualified and Transgender: A Report on Results of Resume Testing for Employment Discrimination Based on Gender Identity,” the first government-run testing project in the nation to analyze how employers respond to resumes from applicants perceived as transgender compared with resumes of applicants perceived as cisgender.  The report surfaced patterns that could lead to employment discrimination and the full report can be viewed at ohr.dc.gov/page/QualifiedAndTransgender

“Most employers want to do the right thing and have welcoming workplaces for all, and part of that work is examining their practices to make sure that conscious or unconscious biases are not playing a role in who is selected to move forward in the hiring process” said OHR Director Mónica Palacio. “For that reason, we are pleased to offer this free resource for the business community so that they can engage in a proactive approach to eliminating employment discrimination based on gender identity.”

“Hired and Transgender” also offers guidance on how to address potential discrimination, and points  employers to resources such as he guide recently released by OHR and the National LGBTQ Taskforce, “Valuing Transgender Applicants and Employees,” which provides in-depth best practices intended to help employers across the nation create a genuinely inclusive and welcoming workplace environment for transgender people.  This guide is available at ohr.dc.gov/page/transemployees.   

“Hired and Transgender” is available for download at http://ohr.dc.gov/page/HiredAndTransgender.

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About the District of Columbia Office of Human Rights

The District of Columbia Office of Human Rights (OHR) was established to eradicate discrimination, increase equal opportunity and protect human rights for persons who live in or visit the District of Columbia. The agency enforces local and federal human rights laws, including the DC Human Rights Act, by providing a legal process to those who believe they have been discriminated against. OHR also proactively enforces human rights in the District through Director’s Inquiries, which allow it to identify and investigate practices and policies that may be discriminatory.