Supreme Court Issues Historic Decision on LGBTQ Employment Discrimination
Statement: Supreme Court Issues Historic Decision on LGBTQ Employment Discrimination
Legal Council applauds the U.S. Supreme Court for its decision on Monday that federal anti-discrimination law protects LGBTQ+ people in the workplace.
In a landmark decision, the Court recognized that Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, also applies to LGBTQ workers. In a 6-3 decision delivered by Justice Gorsuch, the Court wrote “[t]hose who adopted the Civil Rights Act might not have anticipated their work would lead to this particular result… [b]ut the limits of the drafters’ imagination supply no reason to ignore the law’s demands.” Today the Court made it clear to all that in America “[a]n employer who fires an individual merely for being gay or transgender defies the law.”
While these protections against discrimination have been afforded to many LGBTQ Illinoisans, Legal Council lauds the Court for extending the protections to all Americans. This decision is a great step towards protecting the well-being of LGBTQ individuals, and ensuring LGBTQ people can reach their full potential. Legal Council will continue to advance the voice of health equity for all. SCOTUS has given us another tool to continue to advance our mission.
Legal Council has fought and stood shoulder to shoulder with the LGBTQ community since our inception and shares in the excitement with our clients, colleagues, and friends as we celebrate this monumental occasion, but we recognize the fight does not end here. While this places SCOTUS on the right side of history, the LQBTQ community continues to face discrimination across systems, including in health care.
This historic victory comes on the heels of the Trump Administration’s decision to revoke an astonishing number of health care protections provided through Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, making it easier for medical providers and hospitals to discriminate against LGBTQ patients. At the same time we celebrate today’s decisions, Legal Council also vows to keep fighting for justice for all of our communities.
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Legal Council for Health Justice uses the power of the law to secure dignity, opportunity, and well-being for people facing barriers due to illness and disability. All programs partner with health and hospital systems to train and support the care provider network, provide direct representation to referred patients, and conduct systemic advocacy to promote health equity among populations facing chronic, disabling, and stigmatizing health and social conditions. legalcouncil.org