Gay rights in America: How states stand on gay marriage and 6 other issues

The tapestry of federal and state laws surrounding gay rights is enormously complex. Here is a look at each state's laws regarding issues ranging from gay marriage to hate crimes to hospital visitation. 

5. Employment

AP/File
Protesters carry signs calling for protection of homosexuals from discrimination as they march in a picket line in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia in this 1967 photo.

• Federal: Legal protection afforded to the LGBT community dates back to President Clinton’s 1998 executive order prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in the civilian workforce. 

• States: Employment discrimination laws regarding sexual orientation or gender identity vary widely by state. There is very little statutory, common law, and case law establishing discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation as a legal wrong. Below are the states with and without employment-discrimination laws that protect all workers from practices such as bias in hiring, promotion, job assignment, termination, compensation, and harassment. 

Full protections (17)
Prohibit employment discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation:
-California
-Colorado
-Connecticut
-District of Columbia
-Hawaii
-Illinois
-Iowa
-Maine
-Massachusetts
-Minnesota
-Nevada
-New Jersey
-New Mexico
-Oregon
-Rhode Island
-Vermont
-Washington

Some protections (5) 
Prohibit employment discrimination based only on sexual orientation: 
-Delaware
-Maryland
-New Hampshire
-New York
-Wisconsin

No protections (29)
No legal protection against employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity:
-Alabama
-Alaska
-Arizona
-Arkansas
-Florida
-Georgia
-Idaho
-Indiana
-Kansas
-Kentucky
-Louisiana
-Michigan
-Mississippi
-Missouri
-Montana
-Nebraska
-North Carolina
-North Dakota
-Ohio
-Oklahoma
-Pennsylvania
-South Carolina
-South Dakota
-Tennessee
-Texas
-Utah
-Virginia
-West Virginia
-Wyoming 

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We have a mission beyond circulation, we want to bridge divides. We’re about kicking down the door of thought everywhere and saying, “You are bigger and more capable than you realize. And we can prove it.”

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