State Employees

This map shows state laws or policies that prohibit discrimination against state employees on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identity. As a result of a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, state employees can seek recourse for employment discrimination based sexual orientation and gender identity through the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and federal courts.

As a result of a June 2020 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, people in all states can seek recourse for employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity through the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and federal courts.
State public employment nondiscrimination policy covers sexual orientation and gender identity
(35 states + 3 territories + D.C.)
State public employment nondiscrimination policy covers sexual orientation only
(2 states + 1 territory)
No state policy prohibiting discrimination against public employees based on sexual orientation or gender identity
(13 states + 1 territory)
Recommended citation:
Movement Advancement Project. 2026. “Equality Maps: Employment Nondiscrimination Laws.” https://mapresearch.org/equality-map/employment-nondiscrimination/. Data as of June 12, 2026.

Percent of Adult LGBTQ Population Covered by Laws

*Note: These percentages reflect estimates of the LGBTQ adult population living in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Estimates of the LGBTQ adult population in the five inhabited U.S. territories are not available, and so cannot be reflected here.

77%
77% of the LGBTQ population lives in states with policies that protect state employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
3%
3% of the LGBTQ population lives in states with policies that protect state employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation only
20%
20% of the LGBTQ population lives in states with no state policy prohibiting discrimination in public employment based on sexual orientation or gender identity