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A significant ruling in 2020 has set a precedent in favor of protecting the rights of transgender workers.
The Supreme Court has made a significant ruling on transgender rights in the case of Bostock v. Clayton County.
The ruling from 2020 stated that a significant civil rights law safeguards gay and transgender employees from facing discrimination in the workplace.
Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, appointed by President Donald J. Trump, stated in a 6-3 ruling that it is against the law for an employer to terminate an employee based solely on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and the four liberal justices on the court also supported this decision.
The combined majority opinion and two dissenting opinions totaled 168 pages. President Donald J. Trump told reporters that he acknowledged the decision and had read it. Despite some people being surprised by the ruling, he stated that it was final and they would abide by it. Trump described it as a significant decision.
The justices had to determine the interpretation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a law that prohibits discrimination in employment based on race, religion, national origin, and sex. Specifically, they needed to decide if the prohibition against discrimination based on sex also included protection for gay and transgender employees.
Justice Gorsuch stated that it was indeed the case
The writer expressed that when an employer terminates an employee for being homosexual or transgender, they are essentially discriminating against them for qualities or behaviors that would not be an issue if they belonged to a different gender.
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. disagreed with the argument, stating that it was incredibly arrogant. He also pointed out that there is no evidence to suggest that any member of Congress understood the law in that way when it was passed in 1964.
The law that was passed made it illegal to discriminate against employees in the workplace based on their sex. The case being discussed on Wednesday involves the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, which is written broadly and is used to create a framework for analysis rather than strict rules. Justice Alito mentioned in 2020 that the court’s decision in this case could influence future constitutional cases.
Adam Liptak is a journalist who specializes in covering the Supreme Court and writing a column called Sidebar about legal news. He graduated from Yale Law School and worked as a lawyer for 14 years before starting at The New York Times in 2002. To learn more about Adam Liptak, visit his page.
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