U.S. Supreme Court bars discrimination against LGBT workers 

U.S. Supreme Court bars discrimination against LGBT workers 

Part of: GS-Prelims and GS-II – International Relations

In News:

• The US Supreme Court ruled that the federal law that prohibits discrimination based on sex should be interpreted to include sexual orientation and gender identity.

Key takeaways 

• The country’s SC decided that gay and transgender people are protected under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 
• The title prohibits employment discrimination based on race, colour, religion, sex and national origin.
• Essentially, with this landmark ruling, the SC has said that Title VII’s provision, which says that employers cannot discriminate on the basis of sex, includes LGBTQ employees.
• The ruling involved three cases filed by employees who claimed they were fired from their jobs because of their sexual orientation.
• The landmark ruling represented the biggest moment for LGBT (lesbians, gays, bisexual, transgender) rights in the United States since the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide in 2015.