Prom
A significant ruling in 2020 set a precedent in favor of protecting the rights of transgender employees.
There has been only one significant ruling on transgender rights by the Supreme Court, which is Bostock v. Clayton County.
In 2020, a significant court decision determined that a key 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 Trump, stated that it is against the law for an employer to terminate someone solely because they are gay or transgender. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and the court’s four liberal members also agreed with this decision.
The court decision, which consisted of a majority opinion and two dissents, was a lengthy 168 pages. President Donald J. Trump mentioned to the press that he acknowledged and accepted the ruling. He stated that he had read the decision and while some were surprised by it, he respected and would abide by the court’s decision. Additionally, he described the ruling as a strong one.
The justices were tasked with interpreting a law called Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which 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 included protection for gay and transgender employees.
Justice Gorsuch stated that it was indeed the case
The writer stated that when an employer terminates someone for being homosexual or transgender, they are essentially firing them for qualities or behaviors that they would not have had an issue with if the individual belonged to a different gender.
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. disagreed with the argument, stating that it was incredibly arrogant. He mentioned that there was no evidence to suggest that any member of Congress understood the statute in that way when it was passed in 1964.
The law in question made it illegal to discriminate in the workplace based on someone’s sex. The case being discussed focuses on the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, which is more broadly written and serves as a framework for analysis rather than strict rules. Justice Alito mentioned in 2020 that the court’s ruling in this case could have an impact on future constitutional cases.
Adam Liptak writes about the Supreme Court and legal news in his column called Sidebar. He attended Yale Law School and worked as a lawyer for 14 years before starting at The New York Times in 2002. For more information about Adam Liptak, click here.
Prom
Index of the Website
Navigation to Site Information