Does Oklahoma Outlaw Discrimination Against Gay and Lesbian Employees?
Answered by Kim I. Mills, HRC's former education. Jan. 26, 2001
Q: My partner and I are seriously considering moving from Chicago, Ill., to Tulsa, Okla. I am from Tulsa and after college left for Chicago. I would love to move back and be near my family, but can you tell me anything about workplace protections in Tulsa or Oklahoma City?
Shiela
A: Dear Shiela,
I'm sorry to say that neither Tulsa nor Oklahoma City offers workplace protections based on sexual orientation - but Chicago does! In fact, no city or town in Oklahoma outlaws job discrimination based on sexual orientation. And, as you probably know, there's no federal law protecting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people from discrimination. Your best bet, if you decide to move to the Sooner State, is to try to find an employer that has a policy prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation. (And once you're settled in, please write back and tell us what the heck a Sooner is.) You can use HRC's website to check out potential employers. Go to hrc.org/worknet and enter the company name in the search box. You also can search our database to find localities that outlaw job discrimination based on sexual orientation and or gender identity. Good luck, wherever you end up!
Sincerely,
Kim I. Mills
Mills is HRC's education director and oversees HRC WorkNet.
Jan. 26, 2001