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A landmark ruling in 2020 has set a significant legal standard in favor of protecting the rights of transgender employees.
The Supreme Court has only made one significant ruling concerning the rights of transgender individuals, which was in the case of Bostock v. Clayton County.
In 2020, a significant decision was made stating that a key civil rights law safeguards the rights of gay and transgender employees from discrimination in the workplace.
In a 6-3 ruling, Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, appointed by President Donald J. Trump, stated 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 four liberal justices also supported this decision.
The ruling consisted of a majority opinion and two dissenting opinions, totaling 168 pages. President Donald J. Trump told reporters that he accepted the decision, stating that he had read the ruling and acknowledged that some people were surprised by it. He commented that it was a strong decision.
The justices were tasked with interpreting Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, religion, national origin, and sex. They needed to determine if the prohibition against discrimination "because of sex" also extended to gay and transgender employees.
Justice Gorsuch stated that it was true.
The writer stated that when an employer dismisses someone for being homosexual or transgender, they are essentially firing them for characteristics or behaviors that would not have been an issue if they were a different gender.
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. expressed disagreement by stating that the argument presented was extremely arrogant. He also mentioned that there is no proof that any member of Congress understood the text in that way when the law was passed in 1964.
The law in question banned discrimination in the workplace based on gender. The case being discussed focuses on the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause, which is broad and sets guidelines for analysis rather than strict rules. Justice Alito stated that the court’s decision in this case could impact future constitutional cases.
Adam Liptak is a journalist who reports on the activities of the Supreme Court and writes a regular column called Sidebar which focuses on 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. To learn more about Adam Liptak, visit
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