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In 2020, a significant legal ruling was made in favor of protecting the rights of transgender employees. This decision is considered
There has been only one significant ruling by the Supreme Court regarding transgender rights, which is the case of Bostock v. Clayton County.
The decision made in 2020 established that a significant 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 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. and four liberal justices also supported this ruling in a 6-3 decision.
The total length of the majority opinion and two dissents was 168 pages. President Donald J. Trump told reporters that he agreed with the ruling. He mentioned that he had read the decision and some people were surprised by it, but they have made their ruling and it must be respected. Trump also commented that he thought 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 characteristics like race, religion, national origin, and sex. The issue at hand was whether this prohibition on discrimination based on sex also extended to include gay and transgender employees.
Justice Gorsuch stated that it was indeed the case
The author stated that when an employer terminates an employee for being homosexual or transgender, they are essentially firing them for characteristics or behaviors that they would not have questioned if the person belonged to a different gender.
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. disagreed with the argument, stating that it was incredibly arrogant. He also pointed out that there is no proof that any member of Congress understood the law in that way when it was passed in 1964.
The law in question made it illegal to discriminate in the workplace based on gender. The case being discussed revolves around the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, which is broadly written and used to create a framework for analysis rather than strict rules. Justice Alito mentioned in 2020 that the decision made in this case could have a significant impact on future constitutional cases.
Adam Liptak reports on news related to the Supreme Court and writes a regular column called Sidebar on legal news. He attended Yale Law School and worked as a lawyer for 14 years before starting at The New York Times in 2002. For additional information on Adam Liptak, visit his profile.
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