We fell short of our Fall Fundraiser goal of 2,500 donations. Help us catch up ⏩ Give Now

Supreme Court considers LGBTQ rights in the workplace

Rose Conlon and David Brancaccio Oct 8, 2019
HTML EMBED:
COPY
Demonstrators rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. on October 8 as the court hears oral arguments in three cases concerning workplace discrimination against LGBTQ employees. Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

Supreme Court considers LGBTQ rights in the workplace

Rose Conlon and David Brancaccio Oct 8, 2019
Demonstrators rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. on October 8 as the court hears oral arguments in three cases concerning workplace discrimination against LGBTQ employees. Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
HTML EMBED:
COPY

Oral arguments take place today in a trio of U.S. Supreme Court cases concerning the rights of lesbian, gay and transgender employees in the workplace. The court will consider whether federal law prohibits employers from firing or otherwise discriminating based on a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

Only 22 states explicitly protect LGBTQ employees from such action by their employers.

The central question concerns the employment provision of the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act which makes it illegal for an employer to discriminate “because of … race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.” Lower courts have differed on the issue of whether sex discrimination includes sexual orientation and gender identity.

Marketplace spoke with American Civil Liberties Union attorney Gillian Thomas about what’s at stake in the cases. Click the audio player above to hear the conversation.

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.