The California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) makes it unlawful for an employer to engage in specified discriminatory employment practices based on certain protected characteristics.
Senate Bill 1137 (SB 1137) declares the intent of the State to recognize the concept of intersectionality in California’s civil rights laws. Intersectionality is an analytical framework for understanding how different forms of inequality operate together, exacerbate each other, and can result in amplified forms of prejudice and harm. Therefore, SB 1137 recognizes that FEHA prohibit discrimination not just because of one protected basis, but also because of the combination of two or more protected bases. The law states that its amendments do not constitute a change in, or diminishment of, existing protections and obligations, but are declaratory of existing law.
(SB 1137 amends sections 12920 and 12926 of the Government Code.)