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A significant ruling in 2020 has set a strong example for the protection of transgender employees. This decision marks an important legal
The Supreme Court has made a significant ruling on the rights of transgender individuals in the case of Bostock v. Clayton County.
The decision made in 2020 stated that a significant law regarding civil rights safeguards individuals who are gay and transgender from being discriminated against in the workplace.
Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, appointed by President Donald J. Trump, stated in a 6-3 ruling that it is illegal for an employer to terminate an employee simply because they are gay or transgender. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and the four liberal justices on the court also supported this decision.
The ruling consisted of a majority opinion and two dissents that totaled 168 pages. President Donald J. Trump told reporters that he acknowledged the ruling, saying he had read it and some people were surprised by it. He mentioned that it was a strong decision.
The issue before the judges involved interpreting a law, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, that prohibits discrimination in the workplace based on race, religion, national origin, and sex. They needed to determine if this prohibition against discrimination based on sex also extended to include gay and transgender employees, affecting millions of workers.
Justice Gorsuch stated that it was indeed the case
The writer stated that when an employer fires someone for being homosexual or transgender, they are essentially firing them for traits or actions that would not be questioned if they were a different gender.
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. disagreed with the argument, stating that he found it 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 in question made it illegal to discriminate against employees based on their gender. The case being discussed now focuses on the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause, which is more broad and sets up a way to analyze cases rather than strict rules. Justice Alito mentioned in 2020 that the decision in this case could have an impact on future constitutional cases.
Adam Liptak is a journalist who reports on 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 at The New York Times in 2002. For more information about Adam Liptak, please visit his page.
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