Supreme Court rules gay and lesbian people ARE protected from being fired for their sexuality by civil rights laws in major blow to Donald Trump’s administration
Supreme Court rules 6-3 that the 1964 Civil Rights Act’s Title VII outlawing of firing people on the grounds of sex includes sexuality
Donald Trump’s administration had argued against the ruling
But the majority opinion was written by Neil Gorsuch, the first of Trump’s two appointees – with Brett Kavanaugh, his other, in the minority
Landmark ruling means that LGBT workers in 21 states where such discrimination is now outlawed now have automatic federal protection
GEOFF EARLE, DEPUTY U.S. POLITICAL EDITOR
DAILYMAIL.COM
15 June 2020
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that a landmark civil rights law protects gay and lesbian people from discrimination in employment, a resounding victory for LGBT rights from a conservative court.
The court decided by a 6-3 vote that a key provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 known as Title VII that bars job discrimination because of sex, among other reasons, encompasses bias against gay and lesbian workers.
Justice Neil Gorsuch, appointed by President Donald Trump, authored the majority opinion, which he was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts.
‘An employer who fires an individual for being homosexual or transgender fires that person for traits or actions it would not have questioned in members of a different sex, Gorsuch wrote.
‘Sex plays a necessary and undisguisable role in the decision, exactly what Title VII forbids,’ he added.
The 6-3 ruling represented the biggest moment for LGBT rights in the United States since the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide in 2015.
The Trump administration has argued that sexual orientation and gender identity are not covered by the Civil Rights Act.
The three dissents came from Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh – the more recent of Trump’s two appointees.
At issue was whether Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which bars companies from discriminating against workers on the basis of sex as well as race, color, national origin and religion, also covers LGBT+ people.
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