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Advocates urge Supreme Court to protect LGBTQ worker rights

On Behalf of | Jul 11, 2019 | LGBTQ Workplace Discrimination

Some of the largest corporations in Florida and the rest of the nation are urging the Supreme Court to rule that civil rights laws protect employees against discrimination due to sexual orientation and gender identity. These companies, in conjunction with several LGBTQ advocacy groups, submitted a brief to the court to support their argument. They hope to influence several civil rights cases coming up in October 2019.

During the Obama administration, federal courts were directed to protect the rights of LGBTQ workers under provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (CRA). The Trump Administration, however, reversed course by claiming that the CRA was not intended to protect the rights of workers who were gay or transgender. Advocates are urging the Supreme Court to set a precedent that protects LGBTQ worker rights for good.

Whether the brief advocating for the rights of LGBTQ workers will influence the Supreme Court judges is unclear. A case from New York that’s heading to the Supreme Court involves a gay skydiving instructor who said he was fired because of his sexual orientation. Another case involves a transgender woman in Michigan who was fired from a funeral home.

For employees who have been wrongly treated by a company in Boca Raton, Florida, LGBT workplace discrimination assistance is available. An attorney can help a victim of discrimination decide if pursuing legal action against the employer is in his or her best interests. Discrimination against people in the LBGTQ community can involve everything from firing to creating a hostile work environment. Compensation may be obtained through a settlement or by proving in court that the company willfully violated the law.