WASHINGTON – In a landmark ruling, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced late Monday that Title VII, the federal sex-discrimination law, protects employees who are discriminated against because they are transgender.

In its unprecedented 5-0 decision, the EEOC concluded that “intentional discrimination against a transgender individual because that person is transgender is, by definition, discrimination ‘based on … sex’ and such discrimination … violates Title VII.”

The federal agency interprets and enforces federal employment discrimination law, and the decision marks the first time it has offered clear guidance on this issue.

The ruling came as a result of a discrimination complaint filed by Transgender Law Center on behalf of Mia Macy, a transgender woman who was denied a job as a ballistics technician at the Walnut Creek, Calif. laboratory of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

Macy, a veteran and former police detective, initially applied for the position as male and was told that she virtually was guaranteed the job. Macy was exceptionally qualified for the position, having a military and law enforcement background and being one of the few people in the country who had already been trained on ATF’s ballistics computer system.

After disclosing her gender transition midway through the hiring process, Macy was told that funding for that position had been suddenly cut. She later learned that someone else had been hired for the job.

Macy responded to the EEOC’s decision:

“As a veteran and a police officer, I’ve worked my whole career to uphold the values of fairness and equality. Although the discrimination I experienced was painful both personally and financially, and led to the loss of my family’s home to foreclosure, I’m proud to be a part of this groundbreaking decision confirming that our nation’s employment discrimination laws protect all Americans, including transgender people. I’m grateful for the help of Transgender Law Center, which believed in me from the start and helped guide me through this process. No one should be denied a job just for being who they are.”

The decision follows a clear trend by federal courts in recent years holding that transgender people are protected by Title VII’s prohibition against sex discrimination. But it has even broader implications than a court decision, because the EEOC is the agency charged with interpreting and enforcing federal discrimination laws throughout the nation.

The EEOC’s decision will impact every employer, public and private, throughout the nation. The decision is entitled to significant deference by the courts, and will be binding on all federal agencies.

Ilona Turner, Transgender Law Center’s legal director, explained the significance of the ruling: