The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that federal law prohibits employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or transgender status.
In a 6-3 vote, the court ruled that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which makes it illegal for employers to discriminate because of a person's sex, among other factors, will also cover sexual orientation and status. transgender.
The new regulations constitute a major victory for gay rights advocates and the transgender rights movement in the country.
"Congress adopted broad language making it illegal for an employer to take an employee's sex into account when making a decision about him or her. We do not hesitate to recognize today a necessary consequence of that legislative choice: an employer who fires an individual simply for being gay or transgender defies the law," said President Donald Trump's first Supreme Court appointee, Neil Gorsuch.
"Only the written word is the law, and all people are entitled to its benefit," he added.
There are 21 states in the country that have their own laws that prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity and another seven provide that protection only to public employees. As ruled, all of them will remain in effect, but federal law now also provides similar protection for LGBTQ employees in the rest of the United States.
Many activists from gay and transgender rights groups welcomed the new law, which they consider a very important step in the country's policy in favor of the community.
"The Supreme Court's landmark decision affirms what should not even have been a debate: LGBTQ Americans should be able to work without fear of losing jobs for being who they are," Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, said in a statement. , a non-governmental media monitoring organization.
What do you think?
COMMENTFiled in: