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A significant ruling in 2020 established a precedent for protecting the rights of transgender workers. This decision was considered important by legal
Only one significant ruling has been made by the Supreme Court regarding transgender rights, which is the case of Bostock v. Clayton County.
In 2020, a significant legal decision stated that a key civil rights law safeguards gay and transgender employees from discrimination in the workplace.
Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, who was appointed by President Donald J. Trump, stated in a 6-3 ruling that it is against the law for an employer to terminate an employee solely based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and the four liberal justices also supported this decision.
The majority opinion along with two dissenting opinions collectively amounted to 168 pages in length. President Donald J. Trump told reporters that he agreed with the ruling after reading it. He mentioned that while some may have been taken aback, the decision had been made and they would abide by it. Trump also described the ruling 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 the workplace based on race, religion, national origin, and sex. They needed to determine if this prohibition against discrimination "because of sex" also included protection for gay and transgender employees.
Justice Gorsuch stated that it was indeed the case
He explained that when an employer fires someone for being homosexual or transgender, they are essentially discriminating against them for characteristics or behaviors that they would not have had an issue with if the individual belonged to a different gender.
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. disagreed with the argument, stating that he found it to be incredibly arrogant. He also mentioned that there is no evidence to support the claim that any member of Congress understood the law in that way when it was passed in 1964.
The law that was passed made it illegal to discriminate in the workplace based on someone’s gender. The case being discussed on Wednesday, however, focuses on the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, which is more broadly written and serves as a framework for analysis rather than strict rules. 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 and also writes a column called Sidebar focusing on legal updates. He attended Yale Law School and worked as a lawyer for 14 years before starting his career at The New York Times in 2002. To learn more about Adam Liptak, you
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