Washington

Legal Help Desk

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Find Your State

Know the laws in your state that protect LGBT people and people living with HIV.

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Workplace

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YES

Does state law protect employees in the private sector from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation?

YES

Does state law protect employees in the private sector from discrimination on the basis of gender identity and/or gender expression?

YES

Does state law expressly protect employees of state and local governments from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation?

YES

Does state law expressly protect employees of state and local governments from discrimination on the basis of gender identity and/or gender expression?

See RCW 49.60.010, RCW 49.60.030 (1), and RCW 49.60.040 (15).

Read our fact sheet: Law Against Discrimination Protecting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People in Washington

All government employees are protected by the U.S. Constitution against irrational discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. In addition, some measure of protection already exists under Title VII based on gender, which has been held to include gender identity and expression.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and several courts have interpreted Title VII to protect LGBT employees. Lambda Legal maintains that the EEOC adjudications regarding Title VII’s coverage should supersede contrary authority that exists in some federal circuits.

HIV & Healthcare

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YES

Does the state explicitly ban transgender exclusions in health insurance?

YES

Does the state have laws that may be used to fight against health care discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity?

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Does this state have an HIV criminalization law?

YES, Washington has a criminal law that punishes people with an HIV diagnosis specifically for nondisclosure of HIV status prior to sexual conduct. A violation of this statute is classified as a felony.

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Has there been at least one HIV-based criminal prosecution—brought under an HIV-specific criminal law or a general criminal law—in this state in recent years?

YES, in recent years, there has been at least one criminal prosecution for HIV nondisclosure in Washington.

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Does this state have laws that criminalize or enhance the penalties for biting, spitting and/or throwing bodily fluids or substances (such as urine or excrement) if a person has been diagnosed with HIV?

NO, Washington does not have laws that criminalize or enhance penalties for biting, spitting and/or throwing bodily fluids or substances (such as urine or excrement) if a person has been diagnosed with HIV, but that does not mean the state could not prosecute a person engaged in such activities under general criminal laws or argue for sentence enhancements based on the person’s HIV diagnosis.

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Does this state have criminal laws addressing HIV+ sex workers and/or HIV+ patrons of sex workers?

NO, Washington does not have laws that enhance penalties for HIV-positive people involved in commercial sexual transactions, but that does not mean that a prosecutor could not argue for an enhanced sentence in such a situation based on the defendant’s HIV-positive status, if the prosecutor has access to that information, or attempt to bring separate charges under an HIV-specific nondisclosure statute or the general criminal laws.