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In 2020, a significant ruling was made that sets a precedent for protecting the rights of transgender workers. This decision carries
There has been only one significant ruling by the Supreme Court regarding the rights of transgender individuals, which was the case of Bostock v. Clayton County.
In 2020, a significant civil rights law was interpreted to provide protection against workplace discrimination for gay and transgender employees.
Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, who was appointed to the court by President Donald J. Trump, stated in the majority opinion of a 6-3 ruling that it is against the law for an employer to terminate an employee simply for being gay or transgender. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and the court’s liberal wing at the time also supported this decision.
The ruling, which consisted of a majority opinion and two dissents, was spread out over 168 pages. President Donald J. Trump told reporters that he respected the ruling, stating that he had read it and accepted it. Despite some people being surprised by the ruling, he acknowledged that they had made their decision and it must be respected. Trump also commented that he found the ruling to be very significant.
The justices had to interpret a statute called Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibits employment discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, and sex. They were tasked with determining whether this prohibition on discrimination based on sex also included discrimination against gay and transgender workers.
Justice Gorsuch stated that it was indeed the case
The writer stated that an employer who dismisses someone for being gay or transgender is essentially letting them go for characteristics or behaviors that would not be an issue if they were a different gender.
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. disagreed, stating that he found the argument to be extremely arrogant. He also mentioned that there was no evidence to support the claim that any member of Congress understood the statutory text in that way when the law was passed in 1964.
The law stated that workplace discrimination based on sex was not allowed. The case being discussed involves the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, which is broad and guides analysis instead of setting strict rules. Despite this, Justice Alito noted in 2020 that the court’s decision could have a significant impact on constitutional cases.
Adam Liptak is a journalist who specializes in 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 at The Times in 2002. To learn more about Adam Liptak, click here.
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