In an interview with The Washington Blade, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission member Chai Feldblum explained the significance of the commission's ruling and how she sees the decision affecting future EEOC claims.
From The Washington Blade:
"Blade: Is there any reason to add sexual orientation and gender identity to federal non-discrimination laws now — either through ENDA or some other means?
Feldblum: Of course there is a reason to add sexual orientation and gender identity to federal non-discrimination laws now. What the EEOC has done is offer a chance to bring cases of LGBT discrimination under existing law. That is a very big deal. But that does not remove the need for an explicit federal law that would give LGBT people and employers across the country absolute certainty that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity will be prohibited. That is what adding sexual orientation and gender identity to federal non-discrimination laws would do and that would be a very important thing to achieve."
In response to a question regarding the decision and religious organizations, Feldblum was frank: "Our opinion does not deal with the issue of religious organizations... Title VII does have an exception that permits religious organizations to discriminate on the basis of religion in employment and I expect we will see future cases in the private sector raising those issues."
And when those religious organization cases do happen, we'll be here to tell you about them.