--- title: "Transgender Workers May Be Protected by ADA as Well as Sex Discrimination Rules" description: "" url: "https://wimlaw.com/publications/newsletters/transgender-workers-may-be-protected-by-ada-as-well-as-sex-discrimination-rules" date: "2026-05-30T23:12:37+00:00" language: "en-US" --- # Transgender Workers May Be Protected by ADA as Well as Sex Discrimination Rules Written on April 06, 2023. *Tag(s):* [April 2023 Newsletter](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_tags&view=tag&id%5B0%5D=43:april-2023-newsletter) The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2020 that transgender workers were protected by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. While the Civil Rights Act protects against discrimination, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) not only protects against discrimination, but requires reasonable accommodations for disabled workers that do not constitute an undue hardship on the employer. For the first time, a federal appeals court has ruled that transgender workers can be covered by the ADA as well as Title VII. *Williams v. Kincaid*, 45 F.4th 759 (4th Cir. 2022) rehearing denied 50 F.4th 429 (4th Cir. 2022). The theory behind transgender workers being protected by the ADA is that many transgender employees suffer from gender dysphoria, the stress caused by a person's gender identity not matching that person's biological sex. If a person has gender dysphoria, it may require an employer to provide reasonable accommodations on request, such as granting leave for medical procedures or hormone therapy, or modifications to bathroom or dress-code policies. The reason the application of the ADA to gender dysphoria is so controversial is that the ADA excludes gender identity disorder from coverage, along with "transvestism, transexualism, pedophilia, exhibitionism, voyeurism, and other sexual behavior disorders." The Fourth Circuit distinguished between gender identity disorder, which was not considered a disability when the ADA was passed, and gender dysphoria, which has been added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The Fourth Circuit also said that gender dysphoria could not be excluded from the ADA to avoid the "serious Constitutional question" of whether the law's exception violates the Equal Protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Fourth Circuit stated that the legislative history suggests the discriminatory nature of the exclusion. Editor's Note: Obviously, the Fourth Circuit ruling is controversial, and there was a dissenting opinion in the ruling. While there are a number of district court rulings consistent with the Fourth Circuit ruling, there are some district court rulings to the contrary. Whether reasonable accommodation is required for a transgender worker is obviously the type issue that legal counsel is necessary. This article is part of our April 2023 Newsletter. [View newsletter online](https://wimlaw.com/tags/april-2023-newsletter)[ ](https://wimlaw.com/contact)[Download the newsletter as a PDF](https://wimlaw.com/images/2023/04/2023-04-wim-law-newsletter.pdf) - [](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimlaw.com%2Fpublications%2Fnewsletters%2Ftransgender-workers-may-be-protected-by-ada-as-well-as-sex-discrimination-rules.md&text=) - [](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwimlaw.com%2Fpublications%2Fnewsletters%2Ftransgender-workers-may-be-protected-by-ada-as-well-as-sex-discrimination-rules.md) - [](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimlaw.com%2Fpublications%2Fnewsletters%2Ftransgender-workers-may-be-protected-by-ada-as-well-as-sex-discrimination-rules.md) - [](mailto:?subject=Transgender%20Workers%20May%20Be%20Protected%20by%20ADA%20as%20Well%20as%20Sex%20Discrimination%20Rules) ## Related Content [ ![AI post it note](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/c6/hitesh-choudhary-t1PaIbMTJIM-unsplash-c6f5c91a.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1310:ai-employment-law-issues&catid=53) ### [AI Is Another Relevant Area of Employment Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1310:ai-employment-law-issues&catid=53) [Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53) [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1310:ai-employment-law-issues&catid=53) [ ![construction crew on project outdoors](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/ff/scott-blake-x-ghf9LjrVg-unsplash-ffae2403.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1312:oshas-most-cited-construction-hazard-list&catid=53) ### [OSHA's Most Cited Hazard List in Construction and Outside Construction](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1312:oshas-most-cited-construction-hazard-list&catid=53) [Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53) [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1312:oshas-most-cited-construction-hazard-list&catid=53) [ ![signing documents on a table, indoors](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/34/romain-dancre-doplSDELX7E-unsplash-349488b4.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1311:common-severance-provisions-limits&catid=53) ### [Labor Board Limits Common Severance Agreement Provisions](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1311:common-severance-provisions-limits&catid=53) [Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53) [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1311:common-severance-provisions-limits&catid=53) ## Get Email Updates Receive newsletters and alerts directly in your email inbox. Sign up below. ## Recent Content [ Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53) [ ![ai, human reach out](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/f1/igor-omilaev-FHgWFzDDAOs-unsplash-f12346e8.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1582:fcra-litigation-challenges-employers-ai-hiring&catid=53)### [FCRA Litigation Challenges Employers’ Use of AI Hiring Platforms](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1582:fcra-litigation-challenges-employers-ai-hiring&catid=53) [Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53) A January 20, 2026, class action filed against Eightfold AI, Inc. in California is sending shockwaves through the employer and AI community… [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1582:fcra-litigation-challenges-employers-ai-hiring&catid=53) [ ![danger sign, skull](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/01/mikael-seegen-jX6WXNkvsPs-unsplash-01c1ebef.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1584:ai-research-discovery-requests-dangers&catid=53)### [The Dangers of Employers Using AI Research Tools as to Discovery Requests from Plaintiffs](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1584:ai-research-discovery-requests-dangers&catid=53) [Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53) A second “bombshell” affecting HR pertaining to AI is a federal court ruling in New York, that a defendant’s use of AI in researching and p… [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1584:ai-research-discovery-requests-dangers&catid=53) [ ![CHAT GPT](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/64/emiliano-vittoriosi-fvxNerA8uk0-unsplash-64a16be4.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1585:ai-employer-protection&catid=53)### [Two Subsequent Cases Protect Defendant’s Use of AI as Subject to Work-product Protection](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1585:ai-employer-protection&catid=53) [Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53) Soon after the deciding of the above-discussed case on February 17, 2026, in U.S. v. Heppner, a criminal case in the District Court for the… [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1585:ai-employer-protection&catid=53) [ ![avoid, wave away](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/6f/priscilla-du-preez-NQTphr4Pr60-unsplash-6fb4df83.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1586:employer-avoid-waiving-privileges-ai-research&catid=53)### [Is There Anything an Employer Can Do to Avoid Waiving Privileges in Using AI Research Tools?](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1586:employer-avoid-waiving-privileges-ai-research&catid=53) [Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53) There are no easy answers to the above question, but some general observations will nevertheless be made. First, the New York district cou… [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1586:employer-avoid-waiving-privileges-ai-research&catid=53) [ ![ai visualization](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/45/milad-fakurian-5yWtM3M3JKM-unsplash-45306e6d.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1587:ai-legal-recommendations&catid=53)### [Suggestions on Use of AI](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1587:ai-legal-recommendations&catid=53) [Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53) Perhaps the starting point is to look at the type of AI platforms generally available. At a recent conference about AI use for HR, speaker… [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1587:ai-legal-recommendations&catid=53) [ ![june 2026 legal immigration webinar promo graphic](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/45/june-2026-webinar-immigration-453d45bc.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1583:worksite-enforcement-tps-parole&catid=221)### [Worksite Enforcement and TPS and Parole Status Update](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1583:worksite-enforcement-tps-parole&catid=221) [Webinars: Employment Law "Hot Topics"](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=221) The webinar will cover how to deal with a worksite enforcement action and various types of immigration enforcement activities. The webinar… [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1583:worksite-enforcement-tps-parole&catid=221) ### Additional Legal Resources [### Newsletter Explore ](https://wimlaw.com/publications/newsletters) [### Books Explore ](https://wimlaw.com/publications/books) [### Alerts Explore ](https://wimlaw.com/alerts) [### Articles Explore ](https://wimlaw.com/articles) [### Audits Explore ](https://wimlaw.com/audits) [### Events Explore ](https://wimlaw.com/events) ## Schema ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://wimlaw.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Publications", "item": "https://wimlaw.com/publications" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Newsletters", "item": "https://wimlaw.com/publications/newsletters" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Transgender Workers May Be Protected by ADA as Well as Sex Discrimination Rules", "item": "https://wimlaw.com/publications/newsletters/transgender-workers-may-be-protected-by-ada-as-well-as-sex-discrimination-rules" } ] } ```