--- description: Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed two anti-discrimination executive orders related to the rights of transgender people on Thursday title: Pennsylvania Governor Bans Anti-Transgender Discrimination image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0630ff5ce8ef9cf1/69888e39ab6d779ab16a928d/tom-wolf-pennsylvania.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Pennsylvania Governor Bans Anti-Transgender Discrimination ## Video: North Carolina Gives Local Governments the Right to Discriminate [Watch (HLS stream): North Carolina Gives Local Governments the Right to Discriminate](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/oweJ28Vr.m3u8) (1:01)  _Published 2016-03-24. North Carolina lawmakers called a one-day session to pass a law making it impossible for local governments to pass their own anti-discrimination laws after a law passed in Charlotte giving transgender people the right to choose which bathroom..._  by [Katie Reilly](/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 7, 2016 10:39 PM CUT  Governor of Pennsylvania Tom Wolf speaks during the Pennsylvania Conference For Women 2015 at on Nov.19, 2015. Governor of Pennsylvania Tom Wolf speaks during the Pennsylvania Conference For Women 2015 at on Nov.19, 2015.Gilbert Carrasquillo—WireImage/Getty Images  by [Katie Reilly](/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 7, 2016 10:39 PM CUT Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf [signed two anti-discrimination executive orders](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-pennsylvania-transgender-idUSKCN0X42M9 "undefined") related to the rights of transgender people on Thursday, contrasting recent high-profile laws in other states that been criticized for discriminating against the LGBT community. One of the Pennsylvania orders [bans discrimination](https://governor.pa.gov/executive%5Forders/executive-order-2016-04-equal-employment-opportunity/ "undefined") against employees or job applicants based on gender expression or identity, in addition to other criteria, including race, religion, gender and sexual orientation, [Reuters reported](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-pennsylvania-transgender-idUSKCN0X42M9 "undefined"). The [second order requires](https://governor.pa.gov/executive%5Forders/executive-order-2016-05-contract-compliance/ "undefined") any company that has a contract with the state to eliminate discrimination in hiring employees and requires the companies to treat them fairly. “What happened in North Carolina, and what is going on in other states, should be a call to pass non-discrimination legislation in Pennsylvania now,” the governor’s office said in a [statement](https://governor.pa.gov/statement-on-non-discrimination-executive-orders/ "undefined") on Wednesday. “The governor wants to make clear that Pennsylvania is inclusive, welcoming, and open for business for everyone.” **Read more:** [Why So Many States Are Fighting Over LGBT Rights in 2016](http://time.com/4277247/north-carolina-georgia-lgbt-rights-religious-liberty-bills/ "undefined") A recent [North Carolina law](http://time.com/4271861/north-carolina-anti-discrimination-backlash/ "undefined") prohibits local governments from enacting anti-discrimination measures to protect the LGBT community and has drawn criticism from [businesses](http://time.com/4276240/bank-america-north-carolina-lgbt-discimination/ "undefined") and [elected leaders in other states](http://time.com/4272722/san-francisco-mayor-restricts-government-travel-to-north-carolina-over-discriminatory-law/ "undefined"). In Mississippi, a [new law](http://time.com/4282391/mississippi-law-refuse-gay-couples/ "undefined") allows public and private businesses to refuse service to gay couples based on religious beliefs. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4286177/transgender-discrimination-pennsylvania-governor/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4286177/transgender-discrimination-pennsylvania-governor/"},"headline":"Pennsylvania Governor Bans Anti-Transgender Discrimination","datePublished":"2016-04-07T22:39:47.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T16:34:11.242Z","description":"His executive orders stand in contrast to recent laws in North Carolina and Mississippi","url":"https://time.com/4286177/transgender-discrimination-pennsylvania-governor/","keywords":["Pennsylvania"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0630ff5ce8ef9cf1/69888e39ab6d779ab16a928d/tom-wolf-pennsylvania.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Katie Reilly","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0630ff5ce8ef9cf1/69888e39ab6d779ab16a928d/tom-wolf-pennsylvania.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Pennsylvania Conference For Women 2015","caption":"Pennsylvania Conference For Women 2015","creditText":"Gilbert Carrasquillo—WireImage/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4286177/transgender-discrimination-pennsylvania-governor/","name":"Pennsylvania Governor Bans Anti-Transgender Discrimination"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"North Carolina Gives Local Governments the Right to Discriminate","description":"North Carolina lawmakers called a one-day session to pass a law making it impossible for local governments to pass their own anti-discrimination laws after a law passed in Charlotte giving transgender people the right to choose which bathroom...","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/oweJ28Vr/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-03-24T23:15:11.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/oweJ28Vr.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4286177/transgender-discrimination-pennsylvania-governor/","duration":"PT1M1S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4286177/transgender-discrimination-pennsylvania-governor/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```