Appeals Court Says Civil Rights Law Prohibits Discrimination Against LGBT People
Federal court rules that the 1964 Civil Rights Act protects LGBT employees from discrimination.
A federal appeals court on Tuesday ruled that the 1964 Civil Rights Act protects LGBT employees from discrimination in the workplace.
The Associated Press reported that the 8 to 3 decision by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago likely sets up a “battle before the Supreme Court as gay rights advocates push to broaden the scope of the 53-year-old law.”
The ruling is a major win for LGBT rights.
According to the Associated Press, “The 7th Circuit is considered relatively conservative and five of the eight judges in the majority were appointed by Republican presidents, making the finding all the more notable.”
“I don’t see why firing a lesbian because she is in the subset of women who are lesbian should be thought any less a form of sex discrimination than firing a woman because she’s a woman,” Judge Richard Posner, who was appointed by Republican Ronald Reagan, wrote about the decision.
The Trump administration has begun to reverse important Obama-era LGBT protections.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said about the ruling, “The 7th Circuit decision is a resounding victory for LGBT Americans and the right of every person to dignity and opportunity in the workplace.”
