    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book I)]
    [May 28, 1998]
    [Pages 849-850]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on Signing an Executive Order on Equal Employment Opportunity
    in the Federal Government
    May 28, 1998

        Today I have signed an Executive order entitled ``Further Amendment
    to Executive Order 11478, Equal Employment Opportunity in the Federal
    Government.'' The order provides a uniform policy for the Federal
    Government to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation in the
    Federal civilian workforce and states that policy for the first time in
    an Executive order of the President.
        It has always been the practice of this administration to prohibit
    discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation in the civilian
    workforce, and most Federal agencies and departments have taken actions,
    such as the issuance of policy directives or memoranda from the agency
    heads, to memorialize that policy. The Executive order I have signed
    today will ensure that there is a uniform policy throughout the Federal
    Government by adding sexual orientation to the list of categories for
    which discrimination is prohibited in Executive Order 11478 (i.e., race,
    color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap, or age).
        This Executive order states administration policy but does not and
    cannot create any new enforcement rights (such as the ability to proceed
    before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). Those rights can be
    granted only by legislation passed by the Congress, such as the
    ``Employment Non-Discrimination Act.'' I again call upon Congress to
    pass this important

    [[Page 850]]

    piece of civil rights legislation which would extend these basic
    employment discrimination protections to all gay and lesbian Americans.
    Individuals should not be denied a job on the basis of something that
    has no relationship to their ability to perform their work.

    Note: The Executive order is listed in Appendix D at the end of this
    volume.