U.S. Supreme Court Protects L.G.B.T. Workers

On Monday, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects gay and transgender individuals from workplace discrimination. In Bostock v. Clayton County, Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion stating “An employer who fires an individual merely for being gay or transgender defies the law.”  

The question of the case centered on the meaning of Title VII of the Civil Rights of 1964. That section of the law prohibits employment discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, and sex. The Court had to decide whether discrimination because of sex applied to gay and transgender workers. In finding that it did, Justice Gorsuch wrote, “It is impossible to discriminate against a person for being homosexual or transgender without discriminating against that individual based on sex.” 

Prior to the Court’s decision, it was legal in more than half the states to fire workers because they are gay or transgender. This decision allows people who claim to have been discriminated based on their sexual orientation or gender identify to file lawsuits against their employers.  

 The complete decision can be found at www.supremecourt.gov or by clicking the link above.