LGBTQ Discrimination Lawyer Los Angeles, CA

What is LGBTQ discrimination?

LGBTQ discrimination, also known as GLBT discrimination or LGBT discrimination, refers to unfair treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or queer (LGBTQ) people in the eyes of the law. The LGBTQ community has faced prejudice for thousands of years. The first laws against same-sex sexual activity were enacted in the late 1800s for the purpose of criminalizing same-sex behaviors and relationships. Today, LGBTQ people are a protected class under Federal law and many state laws. Here at Seber Bulger Law, our LGBTQ discrimination lawyer in Los Angeles, CA can help you if you have experienced discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. We will also guide you through the legal process so that you can seek justice for yourself.

LGBTQ Discrimination in the Workplace

Discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals is widespread in the workplace. This discrimination can range from an explicit policy of exclusion to less obvious forms of bias. It is commonly based on negative stereotypes about LGBT people, such as that they are sexually promiscuous or not good parents. In some cases, it may also be based on other forms of bias and prejudice that simply do not recognize sexual orientation as a valid identity. In addition, societal discrimination against LGBT individuals can have a “spillover effect” into the workplace. For example, society’s discriminatory attitudes towards LGBT individuals can negatively impact workers’ performance and morale by creating a hostile work environment for them.

Why Is a LGBTQ Discrimination Lawyer Needed?

There are many reasons why you should hire an LGBTQ discrimination lawyer in Los Angeles, CA. You may be in need of these services because you are being discriminated against at your workplace. People have been fired from their jobs just because they are homosexual. This is a serious offense that needs to be taken care of by the authorities. These lawyers will also help you if you are looking for legal protection of your interest in the firm that you work in. They can help you file a case in court if your rights as a homosexual have been violated in any way.

Why use Seber Bulger law firm as your LGBTQ discrimination lawyer?

If you have been discriminated against, bullied, or harassed because of your sexual orientation or gender identity, you need to contact Seber Bulger law firm and speak with an LGBTQ discrimination lawyer in Los Angeles, CA. The attorneys at Seber Bulger law firm has been helping those who have suffered discrimination, harassment and other mistreatment because of their sexual orientation or gender identity for years. The attorneys at Seber Bulger law firm understand that this type of discrimination is still very prevalent in the workplace and in many public settings, but they also know that there are laws that protect you when it happens and they will fight hard to protect your rights. The attorneys at Seber Bulger law firm are ready to help you if you have been discriminated against or harassed because of your sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, so no matter where you live, call Seber Bugler Law Firm today.

Expanding LGBTQ Rights in the Workplace

A skilled Los Angeles, CA LGBTQ discrimination lawyer knows that under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, people are protected from discrimination at work based on their identity, including race and sex. Over the past several years, more and more federal courts are recognizing identities relating to sexual and gender identity as protected identities. The federal agency in charge of enforcing Title VII and employment discrimination law – the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) – says that employment discrimination includes discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. In addition, as of this publication, 23 states and Washington, D.C. have enacted laws that forbid discrimination in employment matters based on a person’s gender identity or their sexual orientation.

Major Legal Cases Addressing LGBTQ Rights

Despite the strides that have been made in LGBTQ employment rights, there is some disagreement among the courts. In 2017, the Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit held that Title VII does not cover discrimination based on sexual orientation; the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit held that it does. In 2018, the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held that employment discrimination includes sexual orientation. The plaintiff in the case was a skydiving instructor who worked for the defendant. He was gay. The court had to decide whether the plaintiff was discriminated against because of how he presented masculinity and maleness at work. The Court ruled that although not explicitly addressed in Title VII, sexual orientation is a sub-type of sex-based discrimination, which is addressed in the law. Another 2018 case a Los Angeles LGBTQ discrimination lawyer is aware of was heard by the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, which also ruled in favor of LBGTQ employees. The case involved an employee who said she was discriminated against when her employer terminated her after she announced she would be transitioning from male to female and that moving forward, she would be presenting as female at her place of employment. One of the most recent cases went right to the United States Supreme Court. In October 2021, the justices ruled that Title VII does protect gay and transgender workers from workplace discrimination in a 6 to 3 ruling. In the decision, the majority wrote, “An employer who fires an individual merely for being gay or transgender defies the law.” Prior to this decision, it was legal in more than half of the states in this country to fire an employee for being gay, bisexual, or transgender.

Contact Our Employment Discrimination Law Firm

Despite the above rulings and the strides that have been made, the LGBTQ community still faces far too many incidents of employment discrimination, even with all of these protections in place. If you have faced discrimination at your job, call Seber Bugler Law Firm to schedule a free and confidential consultation with a dedicated Los Angeles LGBTQ discrimination lawyer to find out what legal recourse you may have.

Signs of LGBTQ Discrimination

When you identify as an LGBTQ individual, you deserve to be respected and not discriminated against anywhere that you go, especially in the workplace, as a qualified Los Angeles, CA LGBTQ discrimination lawyer can tell you. If you are experiencing harassment or discrimination at work or have been a victim of it in the past, you have a legal right to report the behavior committed against you and make sure that the person is held accountable for their inappropriate or unlawful actions. Discrimination can encompass many different forms of behavior and actions. They can be verbal or actions against you. Spotting signs of discrimination is not always easy because discrimination can be explicit or suggestive. If you are not sure whether you have been a victim of LGBTQ discrimination and whether your case actually qualifies as one under the law, there are several things that you can consider. See if the following situations apply to your experience:

• Critical, negative, or insulting comments about your sex, gender, sexual orientation or gender expression
• Denying you access to resources such as bathrooms that align with your gender identity
• Denying you employment or training opportunities
• Preventing you from being considered for promotion in your company based on your sex, gender, or sexual orientation

These are just a few of the many forms of LGBTQ discrimination that anyone can be confronted with. If you have experienced any one of these situations, you should not ignore them and report them in your workplace right away. If you have not received any feedback from your employer regarding the matter, it may be time to turn to a lawyer that has successfully assisted many clients who have experienced LGBTQ discrimination.

SIGNS OF LGBTQ DISCRIMINATION INFOGRAPHIC

What Evidence to Collect

As you can learn from a Los Angeles LGBTQ discrimination lawyer that you can trust, there are many types of evidence that you should work on gathering for your case. A discrimination case rests on a diverse body of evidence, which includes things like photos, recordings, emails, employment documents, and phone calls, depending on the nature of the encounter. For example, if you have been denied a promotion because of your gender, you may want to obtain evidence like copies of emails that describe the reason for the denial of the promotion.

What You Can Expect During Your Case 

Many cases last a few years to be finalized, such as two to six years. Throughout your case, you can expect your lawyer to take several weeks to gather evidence, go through the discovery phase, and make negotiations with the defendant.

Legal Help Is Available 

If you have been a victim of LGBTQ discrimination, it is helpful to ask a lawyer about your legal options. You may want to turn to a skilled lawyer who has experience assisting clients with many types of cases of discrimination affecting the LGBTQ community. With any kind of complex legal case, you will want to hire a lawyer who has handled cases that are similar to your own. Learn more about legal services that a trusted and reliable LGBTQ discrimination lawyer can discuss with you in detail by scheduling a consultation.

What To Know About Discrimination Complaints

No one deserves to experience any kind of discrimination anywhere, but an accomplished Los Angeles, CA LGBTQ discrimination lawyer will work hard to defend you if you have experienced it. For employees who are part of the LGBTQ community, discrimination is a particularly urgent and common issue. All employees should feel welcome and comfortable where they work and should not have to worry about bias against them. You should not wait to ask a lawyer about your legal rights if you have faced discrimination while at work. Before you proceed with your complaint, there are several things that you should know.

How to File a Charge

Become familiar with the steps that you should take so that you can file a complaint against your co-worker, supervisor or other staff members in your company. You will be able to file a charge through telephone, mail, online or in-person at an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) office. Once the EEOC receives your submission, you can set up an appointment. They will then move forward with immediate steps so that an investigation into your employer can be conducted. An EEOC representative will get in touch with you to provide updates regarding your filing.

There is Limited Time

If you are planning to file a discrimination charge, you will want to act quickly. As a skilled Los Angeles LGBTQ discrimination lawyer can explain to you, you only have one year to get started and have your charge submitted, so if you have any questions or would like to receive more specific legal information, contact a lawyer that clients trust right away. It may take you longer than you think to collect the evidence and information to file a charge. You should work quickly to gather the documents, forms and evidence that you need to put together a persuasive case. If you need further guidance, contact a lawyer for help with your discrimination charge.

Bring Relevant Documents

It will be helpful if you are able to bring any records, documents and other types of information that can support your discrimination charge. You may want to bring copies of emails, letters, messages, paystubs, invoices or other documents that may be relevant and can best illustrate the situation. For example, if you are submitting a discrimination complaint based on sudden, unfair changes to your job duties or schedule, you may want to bring documents such as a copy of your schedule and a message from your employer that explain the changes to your role. Do not waste any time getting in touch with a lawyer who has the skills, knowledge and experience to provide you with quality legal assistance. You can count on a lawyer to vigorously defend your lights and fight tirelessly so that you can obtain justice for the discrimination that you have experienced. As you can learn from a competent and respected Los Angeles LGBTQ discrimination lawyer at Seber Bulger, you can have your rights fully protected from any kind of retaliation you face from reporting discrimination.   Which laws are in place to protect LGBTQ individuals? In the state of California, as your Los Angeles, CA LGBTQ discrimination lawyer can explain, it is unlawful to discrimination against someone or harass them in the workplace because of their sexual orientation or other characteristics. The law protects those who are gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual, and other classifications of orientation from mistreatment in the workplace. In some situations, those who identify as LGBTQ are treated differently for the worse because of their status. At Seber Bulger Law, we have helped many people who identify as LGBTQ by holding employers accountable for discrimination. What does LGBTQ harassment look like? Discrimination against LGBTQ people in the workplace occurs when someone may be denied a promotion or job opportunity, or fired because of their orientation. Unlawful harassment can be obvious or more subliminal, but the harmful impact is just the same. Examples of harassment can include but are not limited to inappropriate jokes, name calling, exclusion from training and meetings, being asked to not discuss your sexual orientation with others, being denied the right to bring a partner to company function, and more. Do I have a case if I quit due to harassment? Sometimes conditions in the workplace get so bad that people have no other choice but to quit rather than be put through continued harassment and misconduct. The conditions must have been so severe that any reasonable person would have thought that there is no alternative to handling the situation. When meeting with the lawyer about your case, it can help if you have a copy of the company’s complaint procedure, a written testimony from you about what happened, and any evidence or witnesses that support your claims. This information is going to be helpful in building your case and ensuring justice is found. How should I respond to LGBTQ harassment? Many companies have procedures set in place on how to report harassment or discrimination. They may require you to take certain steps when requesting accommodation or reporting a harassment incident. You may have to follow these procedures and document what happened in writing. If you fail to follow these steps, it could lead to denial of your rights to recover damages for what you endured. But as your Los Angeles LGBTQ discrimination lawyer would suggest, it’s best to get a consultation so that a lawyer can review your individual circumstances before making any conclusions on how to proceed. Why is a lawyer recommended? Being harassed or mistreated due to identifying as LGBTQ can be traumatizing. We can empathize with the fact that you were not treated as you deserved simply because you were being yourself. We have likely handled cases similar to yours in which LGBTQ people were left devastated over being the victim of workplace harassment. A Los Angeles LGBTQ discrimination lawyer understands the laws that protect you, and is not afraid to utilize them in a way that holds the offenders responsible for their callous behavior. If you need a lawyer, or just need someone to answer some questions, we are here for you at Seber Bulger Law.