Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Sandoval to sign bill today protecting transgender workers

Sun Coverage

CARSON CITY – Despite opposition from Republican legislators, Gov. Brian Sandoval will sign a bill today prohibiting discrimination against transgender workers.

Dale Erquiaga, senior adviser to the governor, said Sandoval will also sign two other bills approved by the Legislature to ban gender discrimination.

Assembly Bill 211, to be signed today, passed the Assembly 29-13 and the Senate 11-10, with all of the opposition coming from GOP lawmakers.

The bill prohibits discrimination in employment based on gender identity or expression. Gender identity or expression, according to the bill, means gender-related identity appearance, expression or behavior of a person, regardless of the person’s assigned gender at birth.

The Assembly on Monday approved the two other anti-discrimination bills on transsexuals in public accommodations and housing. The vote was 29-13 and the bills are on their way to the governor. All 13 "no" votes were cast by Republicans.

Erquiaga said the governor wanted to sign all three at the same time, but the two bills approved Monday haven't arrived in time.

The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, praised the Legislature for passing Senate Bill 3231 and Senate Bill 368.

Campaign President Joe Solmonese said "an individual’s gender identity and expression should never be the basis for determining access to housing or public accommodations."

Nevada will join 13 other states and the District of Columbia in providing protections based on gender identity.

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