Tom Wolf delivers a speech after being sworn in as the 47th Governor of Pennsylvania during an inauguration at the State Capitol in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania January 20, 2015. REUTERS/Mark Makela

(Reuters) - 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.

The second seeks to eliminate discrimination in contracting, requiring any company doing business with the state to eliminate bias in hiring and promotion.