On Tuesday, the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law released a studyshowing that that laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace are used as frequently by LGBT workers as laws prohibiting sex and race discrimination are used by women and people of color.

Currently, twenty states and the District of Columbia prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation; thirteen of those states also prohibit gender identity discrimination.

Why isn’t there something in the books for ALL STATES yet?!?!

One of the study’s authors, M.V. Lee Badget, said, “Our analysis directly questions the popular argument that sexual orientation anti-discrimination laws are unnecessary…they are needed and utilized by the LGBT workforce.”

And, Christopher Ramos, a researcher who also worked on the study, pointed out that in eight states sexual orientation claims surpass sex claims; the same is true for three states when compared to race claims.

“Clearly, LGBT employees are not only facing a certain level of discrimination, but also, taking advantage of protective state policies,” said Ramos.

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a proposed U.S. federal law that would prohibit discrimination against employees on the basis of sexual orientation., needs to be passed NOW!

[Image via AP Photo/Kevin Wolf.]