EEOC groundbreaking decision on sexual orientation discrimination in the workplace

Some good news on the question of protections from employment discrimination from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (article is at Buzzfeed): Sexual Orientation Discrimination Is Barred By Existing Law, Federal Commission Rules (link to article).

from the article:

The ruling — approved by a 3-2 vote of the five-person commission — applies to federal employees’ claims directly, but it also applies to the entire EEOC, which includes its offices across the nation that take and investigate claims of discrimination in private employment.

and: 

While only the Supreme Court could issue a definitive ruling on the interpretation, EEOC decisions are given significant deference by federal courts.

and this:

Tico Almeida, the head of Freedom to Work, celebrated the decision — and urged LGBT groups to go to the courts to seek codification of the ruling.

“Freedom to Work applauds this historic decision by the EEOC, and we encourage gay men, lesbians, and bisexuals who face harassment or discrimination on the job to consult an attorney and file Title VII claims with the EEOC and eventually the federal courts,” he said. “Our LGBT movement should take this strongly reasoned legal victory and run with it by returning to the federal courts to win workplace protections in all fifty states. 

The Human Rights Campaign’s president, Chad Griffin, pushed for legislative action to confirm the protections.