The Williams Institute

Montana currently has no laws that prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. State personnel rules issued by former Governor Marc Racicot in 2000 prohibit discrimination and harassment on the basis of sexual orientation with respect to employment by state government, but the available remedies are limited due to the lack of a statewide statute. Bills have been introduced to add either sexual orientation or gender identity and expression, or both, to Montana‟s human rights laws in most of the legislative sessions of the past decade, including the current 2009 legislative session. None have passed despite enjoying recent support from the Governor‟s office.