Turn on more accessible mode            

                Turn off more accessible mode            

                Skip Ribbon Commands            

                Skip to main content            

                Turn off Animations            

                Turn on Animations            

Sign In

An official website of the United States government                                                                                                                                                                                                

Here’s how you know                                                                                                                                                                                                                         ****

**The .gov means it’s official.**                                    Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

**The site is secure.**                                    The                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 **https://** ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

U.S. Office of Special Counsel                                                                                                                                                                                                

Skip top navigation, go to main content                                                                                                                                                                        

                    - OSC HomeCurrently selected
                    - About OSC                       - Our Agency & Mission
                      - OSC Leadership
                      - Employee Engagement at OSC
                      - Opportunities
                      - Contact OSC
                    - Services                       - OSC Services Overview
                      - Prohibited Personnel Practices
                      - Disclosure of Wrongdoing
                      - Hatch Act
                      - USERRA
                      - Alternative Dispute Resolution
                      - Outreach, Training, & 2302(c) Certification
                    - Resources                       - All FAQs
                      - Public Files
                      - Resources Search
                    - News                       - Press Releases
                      - OSC in the News

Back to Top                                                                                                                                                

Skip side navigation, go to main content                                                                                                                                                                                                

                        - OSC Services Overview
                        - Prohibited Personnel Practices                           - PPP Overview
                          - Who Can File a PPP Complaint?
                          - How to File a PPP Complaint
                          - PPP Policies & Procedures
                          - What Happens When a PPP Complaint is Filed?
                          - Federal Agency PPP Responsibilities
                          - Resources for LGBT-Related PPPCurrently selected
                          - PPP FAQs
                          - Additional Resources for PPP
                        - Disclosure of Wrongdoing                           - Disclosure of Wrongdoing Overview
                          - Who Can File a Disclosure of Wrongdoing?
                          - How to File a Disclosure
                          - Confidentiality & Anonymity When Filing a Disclosure
                          - What Happens When an Employee Files a Disclosure?
                          - When a Disclosure Involves Counterintelligences or Foreign Intelligence Information
                          - Disclosure of Wrongdoing FAQs
                          - Additional Resources for Disclosure of Wrongdoing
                        - Hatch Act                           - Hatch Act Overview
                          - Federal Employee Hatch Act Information
                          - State, D.C., or Local Employee Hatch Act Information
                          - Hatch Act Advisory Opinions
                          - How to File a Hatch Act Complaint
                          - Request a Hatch Act Advisory Opinion
                          - Hatch Act Policies & Procedures
                          - Hatch Act Outreach
                          - Hatch Act FAQs
                          - Additional Resources for Hatch Act
                        - USERRA                           - USERRA Overview
                          - Your USERRA Rights as an Employee
                          - Your USERRA Rights as an Employer
                          - How to File a USERRA Complaint
                          - USERRA Enforcement by OSC
                          - USERRA FAQs
                          - Additional Resources for USERRA
                        - Alternative Dispute Resolution                           - Alternative Dispute Resolution Overview
                          - Alternative Dispute Resolution Process
                          - Advantages of Mediation
                          - Alternative Dispute Resolution FAQs
                        - Outreach, Training, & Certification                           - Outreach, Training, & Certification Overview
                          - How to Request an OSC Speaker
                          - 2302(c) Certification Program
                          - 2302(c) Certification Process
                          - 2302(c) for Government Corporations
                          - 2302(c) Recertification
                          - 2302(c) Registered Agencies
                          - 2302(c) Certified Agencies
                          - Outreach, Training, & Certification FAQs
                          - Additional Resources for Outreach, Training, & Certification

#                                                                 Resources for LGBT-Related Prohibited Personnel Practices                                                

​​​The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 describes prohibited personnel practices. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is an independent investigative and prosecutorial agency that receives and investigates complaints alleging prohibited personnel practices, including those involving discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Two provisions prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
                                  - ​5 U.S.C. § 2302(b)(1) parallels Title VII's prohibitions against workplace discrimination based on sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity). OSC often defers to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and related agency processes when an individual brings a claim under this section.
                                  - 5 U.S.C. § 2302(b)(10) prohibits agencies from discriminating against employees based on conduct that does not adversely affect job performance. This prohibition has long been recognized as barring discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. 

When individuals believe that they have been subjected to a prohibited personnel practice based on sexual orientation or gender identity, they may seek assistance from the OSC.

**​​​​Factsheets and Guides**

Addressing Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity​ Discrimination in Federal Civilian Employment: A Guide to Employment Rights, Protections, and Responsibilities (OPM, EEOC, OSC, MSPB, June 2015)​

Federal Protections for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Individuals​​ ​(2014)​​​

The Unique Role of the Office of Special Counsel in Protecting the Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Employees in the Federal Workplace​ (PowerPoint presentation, 2014)​​​

Sexual Orientation and the Federal Workplace: Policy and Perception (MSPB study​, May 2014)​

**Policy Documents​**

OSC Gender Transition Policy (June 2016)​​

Memorandum of Understanding Between U.S. Office of Special Counsel And Equal Employment Opportunity Commission​ (January 2014​​)

**Prohibited​​ Personnel Practice Re​ports**

Report of Prohibited Personnel Practice, OSC File No. MA-11-3846 ("Jane Doe " - Tamara Lusardi), dated August 28, ​​2014​​

**News Releases**

OSC Issues Gender Transition Policy Amidst LGBT Education Efforts,” June 14, 2016​​​​

Recent OSC Efforts to Stop LGBT Discrimination in the Federal Workplace, June 24, 2015​​​

### U.S. Office of Special Counsel