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A significant ruling in 2020 established a precedent in favor of protecting the rights of transgender workers.
The Supreme Court has made a significant ruling regarding transgender rights in the case of Bostock v. Clayton County.
The decision made in 2020 determined that a significant civil rights law safeguards gay and transgender employees from discrimination in the workplace.
Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, who was appointed by President Donald J. Trump, stated in a 6-3 ruling that it is against the law for an employer to terminate an individual solely for being gay or transgender. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and four members of the court’s liberal wing also supported this decision.
The ruling consisted of a majority opinion and two dissents that totaled 168 pages. President Donald J. Trump stated to the press that he accepted the ruling, expressing that he had read it and found it to be surprising but respected the decision. He also described it as a strong decision.
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 needed to determine if this 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 stated that an employer who terminates an employee for being homosexual or transgender is essentially discriminating against them for characteristics or behavior that they would not have penalized if the employee belonged to a different gender.
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. disagreed, stating that he found the argument to be extremely arrogant. He also pointed out that there is no evidence to suggest that any member of Congress understood the statutory text in that way when the law was passed in 1964.
This law made it illegal to discriminate against employees based on their gender. The case being discussed focuses on the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause, which provides a framework for analysis rather than strict rules. Justice Alito suggested that the outcome of this case could have a significant impact on future constitutional cases.
Adam Liptak is a journalist who specializes in covering news about the Supreme Court and also writes a column called Sidebar, which focuses on legal updates. He attended Yale Law School and worked as a lawyer for 14 years before starting at The New York Times in 2002. You can find out more about Adam Liptak on
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