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Utah does not have a statewide law that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment. A recent survey conducted by Equality Utah shows that employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is a pervasive and persistent problem in Utah, as it is in other states. Forty-three percent of the survey’s LGB respondents and 67% of the transgender respondents reported that they have experienced discrimination in employment. Equality Utah has proposed statewide legislation to protect LGBT Utahs from workplace and housing discrimination in every legislative session since 2008, and we will continue that work until the bill passes. Recent polling has indicated that a significant majority of Utahns support these protections.
In the past two years, Equality Utah has been working with cities and counties across the state to pass nondiscrimination ordinances that protect LGBT Utahns from employment and housing discrimination. To date, the following municipalities have passed these ordinances:
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake County
Park City
Summit County
Taylorsville
West Valley City
Murray
Midvale
Moab
Grand County
Ogden
Logan
Alta
Harrisville
Springdale
Click here to find out how to report discrimination in these municipalities.
Currently, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, West Valley City, Park City, Summit County, Taylorsville, Logan, Murray, Moab, and Grand County already prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity by local ordinance. Utah State University, University of Utah, and Weber State University have policies against employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. Several other cities and counties are currently considering measures to prohibit sexual orientation and gender identity employment discrimination. Additionally, several Utah-based private corporate employers have adopted policies prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity, among them Ameritech Library Services, Corel/Word Perfect Corp., Franklin Covey, Gastronomy Inc., and Parr Brown Gee & Loveless, and Zions Bank. Finally, many national and international corporations with large local offices, such as Goldman Sachs, American Express, Adobe and E-Bay, have adopted policies that prohibit discrimination on these grounds.
Additional Resources
- Statute: Utah Antidiscrimination Act: Utah Code §34A-5 (Does not include sexual orientation or gender identity)
- Case: Etsitty v. Utah Transit Authority : (holds firing a transgender woman because of gender identity is discriminatory but not illegal).
- Study: Evidence of Employment Discrimination on the Basis of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity : Complaints filed with State Enforcement Agencies 1999-2007 Williams Institute, November 2008.
- Article: "Call in Gay" in Utah? You Could be Fired: Salt Lake Tribune, December 10, 2008
If you believe you have been discriminated against, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it " target="_blank">please tell us your story. If you need legal counsel or services, contact the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah.
