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A significant legal ruling in 2020 established an important precedent regarding the protection of transgender workers.
The Supreme Court has made a significant decision regarding transgender rights in the case of Bostock v. Clayton County.
The decision made in 2020 stated that an important law regarding civil rights ensures that gay and transgender employees are protected from discrimination in the workplace.
In a 6-3 ruling, 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., along with four members of the court’s liberal wing, also supported this decision.
The ruling consisted of a majority opinion and two dissents totaling 168 pages. President Donald J. Trump stated that he accepted the decision in comments to reporters. He mentioned that some people were surprised but acknowledged that they have made their ruling and it must be respected. Trump also described the decision as "very powerful."
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 had to determine 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 fires someone for being homosexual or transgender, they are essentially firing them for characteristics or behaviors that they would not have an issue with 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 evidence to suggest that any member of Congress understood the statutory text in that way when the law was passed in 1964.
The law that was in place made it illegal to discriminate in the workplace based on someone’s sex. The case being discussed on Wednesday is focused on the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause, which is broadly written and used to create a framework for analysis rather than strict rules. However, 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 writes a column called Sidebar which focuses on legal updates. He graduated from Yale Law School and worked as a lawyer for 14 years before starting at The New York Times in 2002. To learn more about Adam Liptak, visit his
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