Dear John,

Under President Biden, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has just released a new proposed rule (i.e., a regulation) that would undermine sex-segregated spaces and stifle free speech in the workplace on topics such as abortion and gender identity ideology by expanding the definition of what constitutes “workplace harassment.” Under the rule, members of the workforce who are pro-life or who do not hold to the tenets of gender identity ideology could be found guilty of harassment for expressing or living in accordance with their views.

The period for public comment on this proposed rule ends on November 1st. Submit a public comment now expressing your opposition to this rule to the EEOC!

Under the proposed rule, each of the following could be considered “workplace harassment”:

Failing to refer to an employee or a co-worker by their preferred pronouns.
Maintaining separate bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers for men and women on the basis of sex rather than "gender identity."
Voicing opposition to abortion or contraception as policy matters.

The government should not be able to force speech by requiring preferred pronoun usage. No employer or employee should be required to use pronouns that are inconsistent with biological reality and against their conscience. Creating sex-segregated bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers for those of the opposite sex is a commonsense safety and privacy measure meant to protect people, especially women and children. It is not harassment. And the ability to express one’s opinions, even on hot-button topics such as abortion or contraception, is a constitutionally protected right that extends to the workplace.

The proposed rule also instructs employers to protect workers from “religiously motivated harassment,” insidiously suggesting that religious belief is a source of harassment. This seemingly puts employers’ responsibility to protect workers from “religiously motivated” harassment above their responsibility to accommodate employees’ sincerely held religious beliefs.

Click here to submit a public comment urging the EEOC not to target free speech in the workplace! We’ve provided a template for you but highly encourage you to personalize it and make it your own.

(Please keep in mind that your comment will be publicly available on the Regulations.gov website, so you will want to avoid sharing any private information.)

Sincerely,

Your Friends at FRC Action