The general Definitions of the California protected classes are as follows:

Race: Protects all races �African American, Caucasian, Asian, Hispanic� etc.

Color: Refers to the color of one�s skin.

National origin: Refers to the country where one was born.

Ancestry: Refers to the country where one�s parents, grandparents or forebears were born (in some jurisdictions ancestry is covered as national origin).

Religion/Creed: Includes one�s membership (or lack thereof) in an organized religious group or one�s spiritual ideas or beliefs.

Sex: Includes male and female and protects against sexual harassment.

Familial status: The presence of one or more children under the age of 18 in the household. It is parent, step parent, adoptive parent, guardian foster parent or custodian of a minor child, as well as any person who is pregnant or who is in the process of acquiring legal custody of a child.

Disability: Protects individuals with physical , mental and sensory impairments which substantially limits one or more major life activities. This also includes people who have a history or record or are perceived by others as having such impairment.

Marital status: Protects individuals who are single married, separated, engaged, divorced, widowed or cohabiting.

Sexual Orientation: Refers actual or perceived heterosexuality, bisexuality, or homosexuality, and includes a person�s attitudes, preferences, beliefs and practices pertaining.

Gender identity: Refers to a person�s identity, expression, physical characteristics, whether or not traditionally associated with one�s biological sex or one�s sex at birth, including transsexual, transvestite and trans-gendered. This category protects a person�s attitudes or preferences, beliefs, and practices pertaining thereto.

Source of income: Refers to the resources available to the tenant for support of self and family, for example, TANF, SSI, employment, trust fund, alimony.

Age: Protects individuals of any age.

People are protected based on their inclusion in these classes or the perception of their inclusion.