WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) released the following statement after the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ruled that employment discrimination based on sexual orientation is illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"Every individual – no matter who you are, who you love, and what you feel – deserves equal protection under the law, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s ruling is a giant step in the right direction for fairness, equality, and civil rights. Discrimination in the workplace is a civil rights issue, plain and simple, and I stand with the EEOC in my unwavering support for the LGBT community as we continue to fight for equality for all.

“But the reality, today, is that men and women across the United States are still being fired from their jobs just for being gay. It’s time for Congress to stop tolerating these outrageous injustices, and for us to follow EEOC’s lead by finally passing the Employee Non-Discrimination Act into law.”