A former soldier and police officer who transitioned from male to female has been allowed to proceed with a complaint against the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives alleging job discrimination based on gender.

A ruling this week by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is being seen as clarifying that rules of employment law apply to transgender people and that they may file complaints with the commission under federal anti-discrimination statutes.

In an email to The Times, EEOC spokeswoman Christine Nazer wrote that the ruling is now “the EEOC’s position, and we will apply it in all our enforcement activities” under Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act, which prohibits job discrimination based on race, sex, religion and national origin.

Up to now, EEOC enforcement of federal employment law across the country "has been inconsistent” when it comes to transgender people, said Jennifer Pizer, legal director of the Williams Institute, a think tank on issues related to gender and the law at UCLA Law School.

“There has been confusion because this is an area of law that has evolved over time,” Pizer said. “There is now a national understanding from this administration that this protection exists.”