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A significant legal ruling in 2020 set a precedent in favor of protecting the rights of transgender workers.
There has been only one significant ruling by the Supreme Court regarding the rights of transgender individuals, which is the case of Bostock v. Clayton County.
The 2020 ruling stated 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 in 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 four liberal justices also supported this decision.
The ruling consisted of a majority opinion and two dissents, totaling 168 pages in length. President Donald J. Trump told reporters that he agreed with the ruling after reading it himself. He acknowledged that some people may have been surprised by the decision, but he stated that he respected and accepted it. Trump also commended the decision, calling it a strong and impactful ruling.
The justices had to determine the interpretation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, specifically regarding whether the prohibition against employment discrimination based on sex also includes discrimination against gay and transgender individuals.
Justice Gorsuch stated that it was the case.
The writer 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 an issue with if the individual belonged to a different gender.
In his disagreement, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. stated that he found the argument to be extremely arrogant and lacking evidence. He pointed out that there is no proof that any member of Congress understood the statutory text in that way when the law was passed in 1964.
The law forbade discrimination in the workplace based on gender. The case being discussed focuses on the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause, which is broadly written and used to create a framework for analysis instead of strict rules. Justice Alito mentioned in 2020 that the court’s ruling in this case could have an influence 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 that focuses on legal updates. 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
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