[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.