What is discrimination according to the law?

In order for what happened to you to be illegal discrimination, it has to have happened in a specific situation and because of a particular characteristic. Not every unfair act is illegal. The laws are a little different for each, and can be slightly different by city, state, and under federal law. 

In general you can’t be discriminated against because of your race, color, national origin, sex, disability or sexual orientation and the discrimination can’t have happened in certain settings. These settings include at work or applying for a job; housing or applying for housing, public services or accommodations, education, applying for credit or at a business.

You can learn more about Employment Discrimination, Disability Discrimination and Housing Discrimination from these fact sheets.

The Minnesota Department of Human Rights has information about all the kinds of illegal discrimination and how to make a complaint.