The LGBT community in Los Angeles County, California is safeguarded by a variety of laws that guarantee their rights and safety. Federal and state laws cover an employee's transgender and transitioning status, and employers must respect all gender identities and expressions. It is illegal to discriminate against someone because they are related to an LGBTQ person, and employers cannot dictate which bathroom an employee should use. Employers also cannot ask a job applicant about their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
Moreover, employer-provided health plans and Medi-Cal must cover necessary gender-affirming medical care just as they cover other medically necessary treatments. The Welfare and Institutions Code has been amended to provide for training and instruction on cultural competence and sensitivity for adequate care for LGBT young people receiving care outside the home. The Equality Act would modify existing federal civil rights laws to explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The Women's Health Protection Act (WHPA) includes the right to abortion in federal law and provides clear guidance to states and courts on the rights of medical providers to provide abortion services without burdensome and medically unnecessary restrictions. California has also passed legislation such as AB 783, which requires cities and counties to notify all applicants for a new or renewed business license that single-user bathrooms from any business, place of public accommodation, or government agency must be identified as bathrooms for all genders. The Department of Fair Employment and Housing has published a frequently asked questions section that explains employment discrimination law in general, as well as a fact sheet for employers that details the rights of transgender people in the workplace. The Department of Justice has refused to defend the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in court, which includes fundamental protections for people with pre-existing conditions, the expansion of Medicaid, and other provisions that help provide access to quality health care.
Equality California is co-sponsoring SB 159, which would facilitate the collection of voluntary, self-revealed demographic data on sexual orientation, gender, and variations in sexual characteristics (intersex traits) in all federal surveys. Finally, while there are examples of California case law to the effect that “sexual preference” should not affect child custody determinations, this language is outdated, unclear, and has not been codified in the California Family Code. Equality California is also co-sponsoring SB 1306, which aligns California's statutory law with the Supreme Court's decision last June that restored the freedom to marry in California.
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