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A significant legal ruling in 2020 set a precedent in favor of protecting transgender workers.
The Supreme Court has made a significant ruling on transgender rights in the case of Bostock v. Clayton County, with this being the only major decision on
The decision made in 2020 confirmed that a significant civil rights law prohibits discrimination against gay and transgender employees in the workplace.
In a ruling of 6 to 3, Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, who was appointed by President Donald J. Trump, stated that it is against the law for an employer to terminate an individual based solely on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., along with the four liberal members of the court, also supported this decision.
The total length of the majority opinion and two dissents was 168 pages. President Donald J. Trump stated to the media that he respected the ruling and had read the decision. Despite some people being surprised by the ruling, he acknowledged it and stated that it was a strong decision.
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. The issue at hand was whether this prohibition of discrimination "because of sex" extended to include gay and transgender workers, impacting millions of individuals.
Justice Gorsuch stated that it was indeed the case
The author 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. disagreed with the argument, stating that he found it incredibly arrogant. He also noted 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 mentioned in the text made it illegal to discriminate against employees based on their gender. The case being discussed on Wednesday, on the other hand, is about the equal protection clause in the 14th Amendment, which is broadly written and sets a framework for analysis rather than strict rules. Justice Alito suggested in 2020 that the outcome of this case could have a significant impact on future constitutional cases.
Adam Liptak reports on the Supreme Court and authors Sidebar, a column discussing legal updates. He attended Yale Law School and worked as a lawyer for 14 years before starting at The New York Times in 2002. Learn more about Adam Liptak.
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