Know Your Rights in D.C.!

You can download a free copy of our booklet, “D.C. Trans People: Know Your Rights!” Please read, print, and share! Also, you may contact us to request hard copies in bulk.

(1) You have the right to be respected.

  • People, your job, and D.C. agencies (for example: the Department of Employment Services or the Department of Human Services) must call you by your preferred name and pronoun.
  • You can always use the bathroom you want to use.
  • You can dress in the clothes you want to wear.
  • You cannot be denied services – including from first responders such as the Fire Department and EMS.

(2) Employers can’t discriminate against you.

  • Your boss cannot limit your gender expression.
  • If your job has a gender-segregated uniform, you may wear the uniform you prefer.
  • A job can’t refuse to hire or promote you.
  • If you need time off for trans-related medical care, your job must reasonably accommodate you.

(3) Housing providers can’t discriminate, either.

  •  You have the right to use a homeless shelter that is consistent with your gender identity.
  • Shelter staff must ensure that you are safe from harm.
  • Service providers cannot deny you access to facilities.
  • Landlords can’t refuse to rent to you.

(4) If someone finds out that you are trans, they can’t harass or “out” you.

  • This includes information about you that jobs or agencies get from background checks.
  • Nobody can ask invasive questions about your body, your past, your medical history or diagnoses, etc.

(5) You have rights when interacting with police.

  • Click here to learn more about these rights and the Metropolitan Police Department’s policies.

(6) You have rights in the D.C. jails.

  • Click here to learn more about policies at the D.C. Department of Corrections.

(7) You have the right to identity documents that most accurately reflect your lived gender.

  • If you are a D.C. resident, to obtain a new ID card or driver’s license, the Department of Motor Vehicles needs only a Gender Designation Form signed by a doctor, social worker or therapist. No surgery or other medical treatment is required.
  • The Gender Designation Form can be downloaded online.
  • Any documented citizen in the U.S. can change the gender marker on their U.S. passport. There is no surgery requirement. See here.
  • Click here for additional information and guides on how to change your legal name and gender in D.C., VA or MD.

(8) You have rights in D.C. public schools.

  • Coming soon.

(9) If someone violates ANY of the above rights, you have the right to fight back!

See also:

  • A fact sheet from the D.C. Office of Human Rights.
  • The full text of the Human Rights Law enforcement regulations.
You have the right to be respected.
People, your job and government agencies have to call
you the name, pronoun and gender you want to be
called.
You can use the bathroom you want to use. Additionally,
according to the DC Human Rights Act, all single
occupancy bathrooms (one toilet, a locking door) in the
District of Columbia are required to be gender neutral; if
you see a single occupancy bathroom labeled ‘men’ or
‘women,’ it is breaking DC law! Help us identify
businesses that are in non-compliance and email us with
the
business
name
and
location
at
DCTCbathrooms@gmail.com or visit our website.
You can dress in the clothes you want to wear—no
questions asked. People cannot harass you for your
gender expression. Your job and government agencies
can’t make you change your gender presentation.
Places where you change clothes also must reasonably
accommodate you.
No one can deny you services because you are
trans/GNC.
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Jobs and bosses can’t discriminate against you
because you’re trans or GNC.
Your boss can’t tell you what to wear if it tries to limit
your gender expression.
A job can’t refuse to hire or promote you because you
are trans/GNC.
If you need time off for trans-related medical care, your
job must reasonably accommodate you just like they
would for any other medical necessity.
Housing providers, from landlords to shelters,
can’t discriminate against you.
You have the right to use a homeless shelter that is
consistent with your gender identity.
Homeless service providers cannot deny you access to
facilities because of your gender identity or expression.
Shelter providers are expected to make every effort to
ensure that you are safe from harm in the shelter.
Landlords can’t refuse to rent to you because you’re
trans/GNC.
If someone finds out you’re trans, they can’t
harass or “out” you.
This includes information about you that jobs or
agencies get from background checks.
Nobody can ask questions about your body, surgeries,
hormones, etc.