ABSTRACT
This chapter explains how differentness evolved and how it has replaced expectations of sameness. It addresses the public employment where greater progress is needed such as pay and promotion, family responsibilities discrimination (FRD) and the employment of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgendered and questioning (LGBTQs). In a more recent study, Lewis et al. examine the employment status of lesbians, gays, and bisexuals (LGBs) in federal, state, and local government workforces. As cultures of organizations change, and individuals feel safe to express who they are, levels of differentness will certainly increase in the workplace. This, in turn, will allow for the collection of more reliable data on LGBTQ employees in public and private sector workforces. FRD claims tend to be litigated as disparate treatment cases, where one employee is treated differently than another based on a protected-class characteristic. In 2007, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued guidelines on the treatment of workers with caregiving responsibilities.
