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A significant ruling in 2020 set a precedent for the protection of transgender workers.
The Supreme Court has made a significant ruling on transgender rights in the case of Bostock v. Clayton County.
In 2020, a decision was made stating that a significant law regarding civil rights safeguards individuals who identify as gay or transgender from facing discrimination in the workplace.
Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, who was appointed to the court by President Donald J. Trump, stated in a 6-3 ruling that it is against the law for an employer to terminate someone for being gay or transgender. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and the court’s liberal wing also supported this decision.
The majority opinion and two dissents combined to make a total of 168 pages. President Donald J. Trump told reporters that he agreed with the ruling. He mentioned that he had read the decision and while some may have been surprised, he respected the decision made by the judges. He also commented that he found the decision to be very strong.
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. Their decision revolved around whether the prohibition against discrimination based on sex also encompassed discrimination against gay and transgender employees.
Justice Gorsuch stated that it was done.
In his statement, he expressed that an employer who terminates an employee for being gay or transgender is essentially firing them for something that would not be an issue if they were a different gender.
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. disagreed with the argument presented, stating that he found it to be extremely arrogant. He also mentioned that there is no proof that any member of Congress understood the text of the law in that way when it was passed in 1964.
The law in question banned discrimination in the workplace based on an individual’s gender. The case being discussed on Wednesday is about the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause, which is broadly written and is used to create a framework for analysis rather than specific rules. Justice Alito mentioned in 2020 that the court’s ruling in this case could have a significant impact on future constitutional cases.
Adam Liptak is a journalist who writes about the Supreme Court and legal news in his column called Sidebar. He 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 find out more about Adam Liptak on his profile.
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