A new rule from General Services Administration extends equal access for transgender employees to use restrooms based on what gender they identify with.

The rule was released in an Aug. 18 Federal Management Regulation bulletin clarifying the agency's interpretation of non-discrimination statutes relating to sexual preference. As a result, the rule extends the nondiscrimination rights throughout all federal facilities and properties.

Related: Read the rule

GSA cited prior interpretations of sexual discrimination statutes from the Department of Justice, Department of Education and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in its ruling.

"GSA has reviewed these interpretations and agency determinations, and is issuing a Federal Management Regulation (FMR) bulletin to clarify that the nondiscrimination requirement includes gender identity as a prohibited basis of discrimination under the existing prohibition of sex discrimination for any facility under the jurisdiction, custody, or control of GSA," Administrator Denise Turner Roth said the ruling, which was added to the Federal Register on Aug. 18.

The rule clarifies the federal government’s standing on a hot-button issue that has garnered controversy of late, especially on the state level.

In March, North Carolina passed the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, which requires individuals in government buildings, including state universities, to use restrooms corresponding to the gender on their birth certificates.

The DOJ filed suit against North Carolina over the state law on May 9, saying that it violates the Civil Rights Act, Title IX and the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act. North Carolina countersued the same day. The case is still pending.

American Federation of Government Employees president J. David Cox applauded the GSA decision in a statement, saying the move ended another form of intolerance for federal employees.

"The federal government has torn down another wall of bigotry by rejecting discrimination against employees based on their gender identity," Cox said. "Every person should be able to go to the bathroom that corresponds to their gender – and it’s up to each person to make that determination."

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