The Portuguese Parliament voted today for the inclusion of gender identity as a protected ground of discrimination in the field of employment. Gender identity will now be added to sexual orientation and several other grounds in the non-discrimination clauses of the Portuguese Labour Code.

The proposal by the Socialist Party was approved with votes from all left-wing parties and the abstention of the parties that make up the ruling right-wing coalition.

The law will now be discussed in committee and will need to be signed by the President to come into effect.

Several LGBT* organizations and the two main trade union confederations supported this inclusion, calling attention to data from the Fundamental Rights Agency and the EU LGBT* Survey on discrimination of trans people in employment.

Gender identity is already explicitly included in the Portuguese Criminal Code, in the Student Statute, and in the competencies of the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality, as well as in the National Equality Plan. The Portuguese Constitution does not yet mention gender identity on a par with sexual orientation.

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