Prom
A significant legal ruling in 2020 established a precedent in favor of protecting the rights of transgender employees.
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 civil rights law safeguards gay and transgender employees from 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 fire someone based solely on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and four liberal justices also supported this 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 although some people were taken aback, he respected the ruling and would abide by it. Trump also praised the decision, calling it "very powerful."
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 had to determine if this prohibition extended to include discrimination against gay and transgender employees.
Justice Gorsuch stated that it was indeed the case
The writer mentioned that firing someone for being homosexual or transgender is essentially discriminating against them for characteristics or behaviors that would not be questioned if the person belonged to a different gender.
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. disagreed with the argument, stating that he found it incredibly arrogant. He also pointed out that there is no evidence to suggest that any member of Congress interpreted the law in that way when it was passed in 1964.
The law mentioned prohibited discrimination in the workplace based on sex. The case being discussed on Wednesday, however, is focused on the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, which is broadly written and is used to create a framework for analysis rather than specific rules. Despite this, Justice Alito stated in 2020 that the court’s decision could have a significant impact on constitutional cases.
Adam Liptak is a journalist who specializes in covering the Supreme Court and writing about 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. To learn more about Adam Liptak, click here.
Prom
Index of Pages
Navigation for Site Information