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A significant ruling in 2020 set a precedent in favor of protecting the rights of transgender workers.
The Supreme Court has made just one significant ruling regarding transgender rights, which is the case of Bostock v. Clayton County.
The 2020 ruling stated that a significant civil rights law prevents discrimination against gay and transgender employees in the workplace.
Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, who was appointed to the court by President Donald J. Trump, stated in a 6-3 ruling that it is against the law for an employer to fire someone based solely on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., along with four liberal justices, also supported this decision.
The combined majority opinion and two dissents totaled 168 pages. President Donald J. Trump told reporters that he acknowledged the ruling and had read through the decision. Despite some people being surprised by the ruling, he stated that they have made their decision and it must be respected. Trump also described the ruling as a significant one.
The justices were tasked with interpreting a law, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, that prohibits discrimination in employment based on race, religion, national origin, and sex. They had to determine if this prohibition against discrimination based on sex also extended to gay and transgender employees, impacting millions of workers.
Justice Gorsuch stated that it was indeed the case
The author stated that when an employer terminates someone for being homosexual or transgender, they are essentially firing them for characteristics or behaviors that they would not have had an issue with if the individual was 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 thought about the statutory text in that way when the law was passed in 1964.
The law that was discussed in the case prevented discrimination in the workplace based on gender. However, the case being argued focuses on the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, which provides a broad framework for analysis rather than strict rules. Justice Alito suggested that the court’s decision in this case could have a significant impact on future constitutional cases.
Adam Liptak is a journalist who focuses on covering the Supreme Court and writes a column called Sidebar about legal news. He attended Yale Law School and worked as a lawyer for 14 years before starting his career at The New York Times in 2002.
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