Human Rights Campaign Praises the Nomination of Commissioner of EEOC

“Chai Feldblum’s commitment to protecting the civil rights of all Americans makes her eminently qualified for Commissioner of the EEOC,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, praised President Barack Obama today for announcing his intent to nominate Chai Feldblum for Commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

“We commend President Obama for his nomination of Chai Feldblum to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Professor Feldblum’s commitment to protecting the civil rights of all Americans makes her eminently qualified for Commissioner of the EEOC.”

Professor Feldblum is currently a professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center. Throughout her career, she has worked to enact protections for some of the most stigmatized populations in America. As legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union in the 1980s, she worked to secure legal protections for people with AIDS at a time when the disease was vilified and poorly understood. Professor Feldblum also played a leading role in the drafting and negotiation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Professor Feldblum is a committed advocate for equal rights for LGBT Americans. Her work on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act has been invaluable to advancing the cause of employment protections for the LGBT community.

The EEOC was established as part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Its mission is to promote equality of opportunity in the workplace and enforce Federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination.

Professor Feldblum’s nomination marks the first time an openly LGBT person has been nominated to the EEOC. President Obama must now send her nomination to the Senate which will vote on her nomination.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.