This recent passing of the bill tackles discrimination in the workplace, and preventing employers from relieving workers, withholding opportunities and openly discriminating against people based on their sexuality and gender identity. While this might promote more equal opportunities in work, there is no denying that this does not put a holt to the oppression of LGBTQ+ current and prospective workers. In fact it barely scratches the surface.
The bill passed would merely mean that employers and other members of the work environment will engage in less overt ways to spew their bigotry, and a lot them of them already do, being aware of the fact that their open hatred for LGBTQ+ individuals might cost them their business or career.
Therefore, this bill is not an umbrella of protection for LGBTQ+ people, but it simply opens more doors for microaggressions that are not obvious enough to be reported and tackled immediately.
In a way, though it is a symbol of change, it serves little purpose for protecting these people from all forms of discrimination that could be detrimental to their mental health and stability in the world environment.
So now that we know how little this actually protects LGBTQ+ people, what should the Trump administration actually be doing?
There are many things they can put money into, such as worker opinion of how LGBTQ+ people are treated in the workplace, where workers can discuss the true practices of the environment in a safe space without fear of losing their jobs for speaking out. It should also be made mandatory for every workplace to have a sexuality and gender identity officer who is a member of the LGBTQ+ community to make sure that these people are not being denied opportunities or fired based on their sexuality and gender identity. Factors like this can go a much longer way as it will properly tackle microaggressions and covert discrimination.