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Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed two anti-discrimination executive orders on Thursday aimed at safeguarding rights of transgender people, countering efforts by other states forcing them to use public bathrooms that match their gender at birth.
One order bans the state from discriminating against any employee or job applicant based on a host of criteria including “gender expression or identity.” It also bans discrimination based on race, color, religious creed, ancestry, union membership, age, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, AIDS or HIV status, or disability.
RELATED: Paypal to Boycott North Carolina Over Transgender Law
The second seeks to eliminate discrimination in contracting, requiring any company doing business with the state to eliminate bias in hiring and promotion.
“What happened in North Carolina, and what is going on in other states, should be a call to pass non-discrimination legislation in Pennsylvania now,” the governor’s office said in a statement on Wednesday. “The governor wants to make clear that Pennsylvania is inclusive, welcoming, and open for business for everyone.”
A recent law from North Carolina that prohibits local governments from enacting anti-discrimination measures to protect the LGBTI community has drawn criticism from businesses and leaders in other states.
In Mississippi private businesses are allowed to refuse service to gay couples based on religious beliefs.
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