Barack Obama drafts order to protect LGBT workers

Barack Obama has set into motion an executive order that will ban workplace discrimination against the LGBT community.

The US president wants to stop lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees from being dismissed by federal contractors on the grounds of their sexual preference, and is expected to sign off on the new law on Monday (June 23).

“The president’s intentions are clear. We will keep you posted,” a White House official told The Huffington Post.

The proposed order will “build upon existing protections, which generally prohibit federal contractors and subcontractors from discriminating in employment decisions on the basis of race, colour, religion, sex, or national origin.”

The official added: “Today, millions of Americans in most states in the country go to work every day knowing they could lose their jobs simply because of who they are or who they love. No current federal law adequately protects lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) workers from employment discrimination.

“That’s why the President has long supported federal legislation to explicitly prohibit employers from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.”

Earlier this year, the Obama administration announced that it was opening up the Medicare scheme to same-sex couples for the first time.

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