On October 8th the Supreme Court will be hearing oral arguments on three cases that raise issues of employment discrimination and the LGBTQ community and whether their rights are protected under Title VII, which prohibits employment discrimination against race creed or sex. The cases before the Supreme Court will determine the interpretation of the Title VII statute and whether gender expression, sexual orientation, and transgendered individuals will be part of the protected class under sex discrimination.
In almost all 50 states employment is “at Will", is the law, which means you can be fired or let go at an employer’s whim for any reason or no reason at all. They do not have to have cause. However, if an employer terminates an employee who falls within a protected class (such as race and sex) then such termination is illegal and is a violation of federal law.
We can only hope that the court rises to the occasion and recognizes that the LGBTQ community should be protected from discrimination.
Selected excerpt(s) and linked article courtesy of Adam Liptak for The New York Times.
Selected photo courtesy of Audra Melton for The New York Times.