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A significant ruling in 2020 set a new precedent by protecting the rights of transgender workers.
The Supreme Court has only made one significant ruling regarding transgender rights, which was in the case of Bostock v. Clayton County.
A decision made in 2020 stated that a significant law regarding civil rights safeguards individuals who are gay or transgender from experiencing discrimination in the workplace.
Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, who was appointed to the court by President Donald J. Trump, stated that it is against the law for an employer to terminate an employee simply because they are gay or transgender. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and the court’s four-member liberal wing also agreed with this ruling in a 6-to-3 decision.
The court’s decision, along with two opposing opinions, totaled 168 pages. President Donald J. Trump told reporters that he agreed with the ruling after reading it. Trump acknowledged that some people were taken aback by the decision, but emphasized that he respects and abides by it. He also praised the decision as being strong and impactful.
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 needed to determine if this prohibition on discrimination based on sex also extended to gay and transgender workers, affecting millions of individuals.
Justice Gorsuch stated that it was indeed the case
The writer stated that when an employer dismisses an employee for being homosexual or transgender, they are essentially firing them for characteristics or behaviors that would not have been an issue if the individual 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 was 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 passed made it illegal to discriminate in the workplace based on someone’s gender. The case being discussed now, however, is related to the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause, which is more broad and serves as a framework for analysis rather than specific rules. Justice Alito mentioned in 2020 that the decision 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 at The New York Times in 2002. You can find out more about Adam Liptak on his
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