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A significant legal ruling in 2020 established a precedent for protecting the rights of transgender workers.
The Supreme Court has issued a significant ruling on transgender rights in the case of Bostock v. Clayton County.
The decision made in 2020 stated that a significant civil rights law safeguards gay and transgender employees from discrimination in the workplace.
Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, 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 an individual simply for being gay or transgender. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., along with the court’s four liberal members at the time, also supported this decision.
The combined majority opinion and two dissents totaled 168 pages. President Donald J. Trump told reporters that he acknowledged and respected the ruling. He mentioned reading the decision and noted that while some may have been surprised by it, he accepted and would abide by it. Trump also described the ruling as a strong and impactful decision.
The justices were tasked with determining the interpretation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination in employment based on race, religion, national origin, and sex. Specifically, they had to consider if this prohibition against discrimination based on sex also extended to gay and transgender employees.
Justice Gorsuch stated that it was indeed the case
The writer stated that if an employer dismisses someone for being homosexual or transgender, they are essentially firing them for characteristics or behaviors that would not be an issue if they were a different gender.
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. disagreed with the argument, stating that it is incredibly arrogant. He also pointed out that there is no evidence to suggest that any member of Congress understood the statutory text in that way when the law was passed in 1964.
The law in question prohibited discrimination in the workplace based on someone’s gender. The case being discussed focuses on the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, which is broadly written and sets up a way to analyze cases rather than strict rules. Justice Alito noted in 2020 that the decision made in this case could have an impact on other constitutional cases.
Adam Liptak is a journalist who specializes in reporting on the Supreme Court and legal news. He also writes a regular column called Sidebar. He studied at Yale Law School and worked as a lawyer for 14 years before starting his career at The New York Times in 2002.
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