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A significant ruling in 2020 that supports the rights of transgender employees has set an important legal example.
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 civil rights law safeguards gay and transgender employees from discrimination in the workplace.
Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, who was appointed to the court by President Donald J. Trump and is considered a conservative, stated in a 6-3 ruling that it is illegal for an employer to terminate someone based solely on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., another conservative, and the four liberal justices on the court also supported this decision.
The combined majority opinion and two dissenting opinions were a total of 168 pages long. President Donald J. Trump stated to the press that he agreed with the court’s decision. He mentioned that while some people may have been surprised by the ruling, he respected it and would abide by it. Trump also described the decision as strong and impactful.
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 on discrimination based on sex also extended to gay and transgender employees, affecting millions of workers.
Justice Gorsuch stated that it was indeed the case
The writer stated that when an employer dismisses someone for being homosexual or transgender, they are essentially firing them for characteristics or behaviors that they would not have had a problem with if the individual belonged to a different gender.
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. disagreed with the argument, stating that it was incredibly arrogant. He also noted 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.
The law that was in place made it illegal to discriminate against employees based on their sex. The case being discussed now focuses on the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause, which is more broad and sets up a framework for analysis rather than strict rules. Justice Alito mentioned that decisions made by the court could have an impact on future constitutional cases.
Adam Liptak is a journalist who focuses on reporting about the Supreme Court and writes a column called Sidebar, which discusses legal changes and 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 by clicking
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