Federally protected statuses are protected in EVERY state from being discriminated against for employment, housing, etc. Current protected statuses include: race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, familial status, disability status, veteran status, and genetic information.
To date, protection based on sexual orientation, transgender status, and gender identity is dependent on state, county, and city ordinances. That means that in many places, an employer can LEGALLY fire you for being gay. Discrimination is discrimination, no matter the reason.
So far, all attempts at passing federal legislation to protect the LGBT community have been unsuccessful; however, support continues to grow every year. Let's make 2013 the year that equality is finally extended to everyone!