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A significant legal ruling in 2020 set a precedent in favor of protecting the rights of transgender workers.
Only one significant ruling on transgender rights has been made by the Supreme Court, which is 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 by President Donald Trump, stated in a 6-3 ruling that it is against the law for an employer to terminate someone based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and the four liberal members of the court also supported this decision.
The combined majority opinion and two dissents totaled 168 pages. President Donald J. Trump stated to the press that he acknowledged the ruling. He mentioned that although some people were caught off guard, the decision had been made and they would abide by it. Trump also noted that he found the decision to be quite impactful.
The justices were tasked with interpreting Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination in employment based on race, religion, national origin, and sex. They needed to determine if this prohibition also extended to include gay and transgender workers.
Justice Gorsuch stated that this was indeed the case
The writer stated that when an employer fires someone for being homosexual or transgender, they are essentially firing them for characteristics or behaviors that would not have been an issue if they were a different gender.
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. disagreed with the argument, stating that it was incredibly arrogant. He pointed out that there was no evidence to suggest that any member of Congress understood the law in that way when it was passed in 1964.
The law that was passed made it illegal to discriminate against employees based on their gender. The case being discussed now focuses on the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause, which is broad and sets a framework for analysis rather than strict rules. Justice Alito mentioned in 2020 that the court’s ruling 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 also writes a column called Sidebar focusing 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.
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