Defending Women in the Workplace Act

Summary

Rewrites Title VII's rule of construction so that the phrases "because of sex" and "on the basis of sex" do not include actions taken because of gender identity, thereby removing federal Title VII workplace protections for discrimination based on gender identity. It also includes a brief provision that establishes an official short title for the statute.

• Amends Title VII's rule of construction to explicitly exclude gender identity from the meanings of "because of sex" and "on the basis of sex."
• Removes federal workplace discrimination protection under Title VII for gender-identity-based discrimination.
• Does not create new funding, programs, or deadlines; the bill is a textual change to existing law.
• May overturn or limit application of existing EEOC guidance and court decisions that treated gender identity as covered by Title VII.
• Increases potential divergence between federal protection and state/local laws that still protect gender identity.
• Affects employers' legal exposure and HR compliance obligations in jurisdictions relying on Title VII.
• Does not affect other protected characteristics in Title VII (e.g., pregnancy or sex-based harassment) except for excluding gender identity from the definition of sex.