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A significant ruling in 2020 set a precedent for protecting the rights of transgender employees.
The Supreme Court has made a significant ruling on the rights of transgender individuals in the case of Bostock v. Clayton County.
In 2020, a significant civil rights law ruling stated that it is illegal to discriminate against gay and transgender employees in the workplace.
Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, who was appointed to the court by President Donald J. Trump, stated in the majority opinion of a 6-3 ruling that it is illegal for an employer to terminate an employee based solely on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and the court’s four liberal justices also supported this decision.
The combined majority opinion and two dissents totaled 168 pages. President Donald J. Trump commented to reporters that he acknowledged the ruling and had read the decision. He mentioned that while some people may have been surprised by the ruling, he accepted it and would abide by it. Trump also described the decision as being very impactful.
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 this protection against discrimination based on sex also applied to gay and transgender employees.
Justice Gorsuch stated that it was true.
The writer stated that when an employer dismisses an employee for being homosexual or transgender, they are essentially firing them for characteristics or behaviors that they would not have had an issue with if the employee belonged to a different gender.
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., who disagreed with the majority opinion, expressed astonishment at the argument being made. He pointed out that there is no evidence to suggest that any member of Congress understood the statutory text in the way it is being interpreted now when the law was passed in 1964.
This law made it illegal to discriminate against employees based on their gender. The case being discussed on Wednesday, however, focuses on the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause, which is more broadly written and is used to create an analytical framework rather than strict 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 reports on the Supreme Court and writes a column called Sidebar about legal news. He graduated from 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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