<P> Federal courts have generally agreed that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits sex discrimination in the workplace, does not prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation although some courts following Pricewaterhouse v. Hopkins support protecting transgender employees from discrimination as a form of sex stereotyping . In early 2018 two federal appellate courts (Second Circuit and Seventh Circuit) reversed circuit precedent on sexual orientation discrimination to hold Title VII prohibits sexual orientation discrimination . The Sixth Circuit also reversed precedent finding Title VII prohibits transgender discrimination in the workplace . </P> <P> According to Crosby Burns and Jeff Krehely: "Studies show that anywhere from 15 percent to 43 percent of gay people have experienced some form of discrimination and harassment at the workplace . Moreover, a staggering 90 percent of transgender workers report some form of harassment or mistreatment on the job ." Many people in the LGBT community have lost their job, including Vandy Beth Glenn, a transgender woman who claims that her boss told her that her presence may make other people feel uncomfortable . </P> <P> Almost half of the United States has laws banning the discrimination of gender non-conforming and transgender people in both public and private workplaces . A few more states ban LGBT discrimination in only public workplaces . Some opponents of these laws believe that it would intrude on religious liberty, even though these laws are focused more on discriminatory actions, not beliefs . Courts have also identified that these laws do not infringe free speech or religious liberty . </P> <P> State statutes also provide extensive protection from employment discrimination . Some laws extend similar protection as provided by the federal acts to employers who are not covered by those statutes . Other statutes provide protection to groups not covered by the federal acts . Some state laws provide greater protection to employees of the state or of state contractors . </P>

The most important federal statute prohibiting employment discrimination against members