New Jersey has been a leader in protecting workers from discrimination because of their sexual orientation. While the Supreme Court of the United States only recently tackled the issue of whether sexual orientation is protected under the law, New Jersey added affectional and/or sexual orientation to its list of protected categories in 1991!
Because of that amendment, it is unlawful for employers to treat workers differently because of their affectional and/or sexual orientation. That means, on a basic level, that employers cannot refuse to hire, fire, refuse to promote, pay less to, or otherwise discriminate in job benefits or assignments against employees because of their sexual orientation.
Affectional or sexual orientation, under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, include heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality. But our state law does not stop there. It protects workers against discrimination and harassment regardless of workers’ actual affectional or sexual orientation or whether they are perceived that way.
It also protects employees who practice or have practiced and who identify or in the past identified with a particular sexual orientation. So the law offers protections to those who are actually gay or bisexual, those who don’t necessarily identify as gay but may have had some gay experiences, and even those who are perceived by others as being gay!
In the end, this amendment to the Law Against Discrimination was an expansive and much needed one.
If you are being or have been discriminated against because you are gay or bisexual or identify, are perceived by people at work as gay or bisexual, or may have had some gay or bisexual experiences, call New Jersey’s sexual orientation discrimination attorneys at Lenzo & Reis, LLC, at (973) 845-9922.
We not only regularly handle affectional and gender orientation discrimination claims, but we also stand firmly with the LGBTQ community. Our knowledgeable lawyers represent people in Morristown, Newark and Jersey City, and throughout New Jersey.