As the White House announced previously, President Obama this morning signed an executive order banning workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity by companies with federal government contracts, which accounts for about a fifth of America's workforce.

"Our government - government of the people, by the people and for the people - will become just a little bit fairer," he said.

The President did not include an exemption for religiously affiliated companies in business with the government, a subject of much debate since the Supreme Court's contentious Hobby Lobby decision. “We’re so proud today of the decision made by the Obama Administration to resist the calls by a small number of right-wing conservatives to insert religious exemptions into civil rights protections,” said GetEQUAL director Heather Cronk.

Obama also signed an order extending current workplace protections to transgender employees of the U.S. government.