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A significant ruling in 2020 has established a legal precedent safeguarding the rights of transgender employees. This decision is considered important
There has been only one significant ruling by the Supreme Court regarding transgender rights, which is the case of Bostock v. Clayton County.
The decision made in 2020 confirmed that a significant law regarding civil rights extends protection to gay and transgender employees, shielding them from discrimination in the workplace.
Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, the first appointee to the court by President Donald J. Trump, stated that it is against the law for an employer to fire someone just for being gay or transgender. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., along with the court’s four liberal members at the time, agreed with Gorsuch’s opinion in the 6-3 ruling.
The ruling consisted of a majority opinion and two dissents that totaled 168 pages. President Donald J. Trump told reporters that he accepted the ruling and had read the decision. He mentioned that some people were surprised by the ruling, but stated that they must live with the decision. Trump described the ruling as a "very powerful decision."
The justices were tasked with interpreting Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a law that prohibits discrimination in employment based on race, religion, national origin, and sex. They needed to determine if the provision prohibiting discrimination "because of sex" also included protection for gay and transgender individuals in the workforce.
Justice Gorsuch stated that it was indeed the case
The writer stated that an employer who dismisses someone for being homosexual or transgender is essentially firing them for characteristics or behaviors that would not be an issue if they were a different gender.
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. expressed disagreement by stating that the argument put forth was extremely arrogant. He went on to mention that there is no evidence to support the claim that any member of Congress understood the statutory text in that manner back in 1964 when the law was passed.
The law that was passed made it illegal to discriminate against employees based on their sex. The case being discussed, however, deals with the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause, which is more broad and provides a framework for analysis rather than strict rules. Despite this, Justice Alito mentioned in 2020 that the court’s decision in this case could have a significant impact on future constitutional cases.
Adam Liptak is a journalist who specializes in covering news related to the Supreme Court. He also writes a column called Sidebar, which focuses on recent legal changes and updates. Liptak attended Yale Law School and worked as a lawyer for 14 years before starting his career at The New York Times in 2002. You can
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