the chopping bloch

I first saw a question about this on another blog, though I can't remember where. Then today Commissioner Moose, who also works for a government agency, brought it up as well.

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel is an independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency, the primary mission of which "is to safeguard the merit system by protecting federal employees and applicants from prohibited personnel practices, especially reprisal for whistleblowing." Prohibited personnel practices refer to a variety of discriminatory acts based on a number of classifications. Until recently, sexual orientation has been one of these classifications. Witness this section from the previous version of the OSC's web site, courtesy of the Wayback Machine at archive.org:

What is the OSC's policy about allegations of discrimination?

Race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicapping condition. The OSC is statutorily authorized to investigate allegations of discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or handicapping condition (see (1), under "Prohibited Personnel Practices," above). However, procedures for investigating such complaints have already been established in federal agencies and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Therefore, to avoid duplicating those investigative processes, the OSC follows a general policy of deferring complaints involving discrimination to those agencies' procedures.

Sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation. Allegations of discrimination based on sexual orientation, marital status, and political affiliation are not within the jurisdiction of the EEOC. Such allegations, however, may be prohibited personnel practices or other violations of law subject to investigation by the OSC.

Now see the same section from the recently revised OSC web site:

What is the OSC's policy about allegations of discrimination?

Race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicapping condition. The OSC is statutorily authorized to investigate allegations of discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or handicapping condition (see (1), under "Prohibited Personnel Practices," above). However, procedures for investigating such complaints have already been established in federal agencies and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Therefore, to avoid duplicating those investigative processes, the OSC follows a general policy of deferring complaints involving discrimination to those agencies' procedures.

Marital status, political affiliation. Allegations of discrimination based on marital status, and political affiliation are not within the jurisdiction of the EEOC. Such allegations, however, may be prohibited personnel practices or other violations of law subject to investigation by the OSC.

Note that "sexual orientation" is no longer included among the allegations of discrimination the OSC will investigate. This despite the fact that Executive Order 13087, which prohibits discrimination by the federal government on the basis of sexual orientation, is still in effect.

What gives? And why has this been done so silently, and with no apparent ripples in the media or among gay and lesbian advocacy groups? And is it a coincidence that this happened on the watch of the brand-new head of the OSC--Scott J. Bloch, formerly deputy director and counsel to the task force for faith-based [emphasis mine] and community initiatives at John Ashcroft's Department of Justice?