Obama (& Bush) on Executive Orders Regarding LGBT Discrimination and Religion

Professor Ruthann Robson, City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law

Today President Obama signed an Executive Order:  "Further Amendments to Executive Order 11478, Equal Employment Opportunity in the Federal Government, and Executive Order 11246, Equal Employment Opportunity." 

Basically, the Order broadens the grounds of prohibited discrimination by the federal government to encompass sexual orientation and gender identity.

Here's the video put out by the White House:

 

 And here are some more specific details:

The Executive Order  broadens the terms of prohibited discrimination in federal employment in Executive Order 11478  by President Nixon, as amended to include "sexual orientation" in Executive Order 13087 by President Clinton to now include "gender identity."

It also broadens the terms of prohibited discrimination by federal contractors in Executive Order 11246 issued by Lyndon Johnson to now include "sexual orientation and gender identity."

As the White House Press Release makes clear, the federal contractors Executive Order does not contain an explicit religious exemption, but does preserve the one issued by George W. Bush, Executive Order 13279,  which amended 11246 to exempt "a Government contractor or subcontractor that is a religious corporation, association, educational institution, or society, with respect to the employment of individuals of a particular religion to perform work connected with the carrying on by such corporation, association, educational institution, or society of its activities. Such contractors and subcontractors are not exempted or excused from complying with the other requirements contained in this Order.”

But what about Bush's Executive Order?  Entitled "Equal Protection of the Laws for Faith-Based and Community Organizations," the 2002 Executive Order was controversial. 

This might be a good time to reread Michele Gilman's terrific article from 2007,  If at First You Don't Succeed, Sign an Executive Order: President Bush and the Expansion of Charitable Choice, 15 Wm. & Mary Bill Rts. J. 1103 (2007).  Gilman argues that Bush has exceeded his constitutional powers.  Her main arguments are about social service providers and grants - - - not at issue in Obama's Executive Order Amendments issued today - - - but she spends a substantial section looking at procurement, including an enlightening discussion of JFK's two executive orders requiring federal contractors to take affirmative action to promote full employment opportunities.

And Gilman's article is a good "test" for those arguing that Obama has exceeded constitutional power by issuing Executive Orders.

While preserving Bush's Order and not including a broader exemption as some had wanted, the Executive Order preserves the status quo.   It allows religious entities to discriminate on the basis of religion, but not on any other basis.  The White House Press Release adds that "under the First Amendment, religious entities are permitted to make employment decisions about their ministers as they see fit."   It does not mention the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the statute on which last month's controversial Hobby Lobby decision was grounded, allowing a religious exemption from the provision of employee insurance coverage for certain contraception.