As of June 15, 2020, United States federal law protects LGBTQ+ workers against workplace discrimination and harassment based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.

In a major victory for the LGBTQ+ community, the Supreme Court decided that sexual orientation and gender identity are protected under the 1964 Civil Rights Act. This means that no employer in the United States can discriminate against or harass any worker for being LGBTQ+. 

A partir del 15 de junio de 2020, la ley federal de los Estados Unidos protege a personas LGBTQ+ contra la discriminación en el lugar del trabajo basada en su orientación sexual e identidad de género. 

Guest Blog by Maria Perales Sánchez

Health experts are in consensus: the more folks that get tested, the better the chances are at reducing transmission of COVID-19. 

Please visit our introduction to Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits HERE. 

If you are in the United States and have a temporary work visa, you may qualify for unemployment benefits if you were laid off, fired, or unemployed within the COVID-19 context.

Gerardo Santiago Hernández is from Guerrero, a community in the state of Hidalgo where job opportunities are scarce. Because of this, Gerardo was forced to look for a job in the US on an H-2A visa to support himself, his wife and his 4 children (the youngest just six years old). When Gerardo had to leave his family, he did it with the hope of a better life, but unfortunately, he didn’t get what he had hoped for.

On April 22, 2020, President Trump issued Presidential Proclamation 10014 that suspends entry of certain new immigrants who do not yet already have an approved immigrant visa. A previous proclamation issued on the 22nd of June, 2020, extended the immigrant visa proclamation through December 31, 2020.  This proclamation does not apply to persons with non-immigrant visas or other travel documents valid prior to June 24, 2020.

Gerardo Santiago Hernández es originario de Guerrero, una comunidad en el estado de Hidalgo en donde las oportunidades laborales son escasas, razón por la cual, Gerardo se vio orillado a buscar trabajo en los Estados Unidos con visa H-2A, pues necesitaba mantenerse y asegurar el sustento de su esposa y sus 4 hijos; el más pequeño de seis años de edad.  Cuando Gerardo se tuvo que separar de su familia lo hizo con la esperanza de mejorar su vida, pero desafortunadamente no fue lo que esperaba.