We are committed to providing a safe environment for our contestants. Therefore, and for this reason it is critical that the Washington/Oregon Regency International Pageants take any and all precautions to protect against discrimination of any kind.

Our statement of general policy (see below) complies with all Washington state and local rules and regulations as the pageant is conducted in the State of Washington. To ensure we have a safe and positive pageant experience, we have developed our Policy on Transgender and Sexual Orientation (see below).

Since the Department of Labor’s (DOL) earliest years, it has been committed to promoting equal opportunity. In 2020, the Supreme Court ruled in Bostock v. Clayton County, 140 S. Ct. 1731, that discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation constitutes discrimination “because of . . . sex” in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2(a)(1). On January 20, 2021, President Biden reaffirmed and applied these protections by issuing an Executive Order on Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation.¹

The Department of Labor’s (DOL) policies reaffirm its commitment to fair treatment of, and equal opportunity for, all people. Policies prohibiting discrimination based on transgender status, gender identity, or gender expression create the reasonable expectation of an environment where all are evaluated by their performance, rather than by their gender identity or expression or others’ perceptions thereof.

Further, the Department of Labor’s policies are consistent with the policies of other Federal agencies, such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Department of Justice (DOJ), and Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

Discrimination, including harassment, based on gender identity or expression is sex discrimination. In 2020, the Supreme Court in Bostock v. Clayton County affirmed the interpretation of discrimination to include harassment, based on gender identity or expression, cementing protections for transgender individuals.

Please read the following policy.

.

Policy on Transgender and Sexual Orientation

1. The Director will lead by example. The Director will treat transgender and members of the LGBTQ community with dignity and respect. The Director will provide a welcoming and safe atmosphere.
2. The Director will communicate clearly.The Director will set a good example with contestants and staff about what type of behavior is lawful and appropriate. The Director will make it clear that contestants and staff should respect gender identity and sexual orientation. To that end, the Director will discuss appropriate behavior with contestants and staff like using correct pronouns for fellow contestants and staff. The Director will speak up if a transgender or member of the LGBTQ community are demeaned because of their gender identity or expression. The Director will encourage contestants and staff to report attempts at mockery, harassment, or otherwise prohibited conduct, including misgendering. Regardless of the level of disclosure that a transgender or LGBTQ individual is comfortable with, the Director will not permit staff members to engage in gossip or rumor-spreading about any contestant and especially not about personal issues like gender identity or expression. The Director will also make clear exactly what consequences contestants and staff will face if they violate the policy, up to and including removal.
3. The Director will ensure confidentiality and privacy. A person’s transgender or LGBTQ status will be treated with sensitivity and confidentiality, just as one would treat any other personal life experience.
4. The venue will provide restroom access. The pageant is guided by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on the use of sanitary and related facilities by transgender individuals at the pageant.²The OSHA guidance states that all transgendered individuals should be permitted to use the facilities that correspond with their gender identity. The Director will let the contestant and staff member determine the most appropriate and safest option for them.

¹National Center for Transgender Equality, 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, (2015), available at https://transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/usts/USTS-Full-Report-Dec17.pdf, at 13 & 154.

²Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Best Practices: A Guide to Restroom Access for Transgender Workers, available at https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/OSHA3795.pdf.