HONOLULU -- The Hawaii Civil Rights Commission ruled Monday that transexual and transgender people are protected under Hawaii's fair employeement act.

The commission ruling means a sexual harrassment complaint by five transgender and transexual people against a Kapolei business can go forward.

"The commission has jurisdiction over complaints of sex discrimination filed by transgender or transexual individuals," said William Hoshijo of the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission

Civil rights commission director Hoshijo said the commission will now investigate the complaints.