Both laws prohibit discrimination based on the following seven characteristics:
- Race (including use of criminal history)
- Color (often used with race)
- National origin (country of one's birth)
- Religion
- Sex (physical differences between people who are male, female, or intersex; including sexual harassment; gender identity and sexual orientation are currently interpreted to fall within this category)*
- Disability (also known as handicap; includes mental and physical impairments)
- Familial status (families with children under the age of 18; pregnant women; senior housing exception).
FEHA adds the following 15 categories for California:
- Ancestry (country of one's parents' birth)
- Sexual orientation (regarding the gender one is attracted to; e.g., heterosexual, homosexual, pansexual, bisexual)
- Gender (sometimes used interchangeably with sex; social and legal status set by society about behavior, characteristics, and sexual identity; includes male, female, and non-binary genders)
- Gender identity (how one feels about their own gender; may or may not align with their assigned sex; e.g., transgender, cisgender, non-binary or genderqueer)
- Gender expression (how one outwardly expresses their gender)
- Marital status (e.g., married or unmarried persons living together)
- Source of income (including Section 8 voucher recipients)
- Veteran or military status
- Genetic information
- Medical condition
- Citizenship
- Primary language
- Immigration status
- Age (exception for senior housing)
- Arbitrary characteristics
