NCLR Legal Director Shannon Minter, “The
decisions in these cases will shape the legal landscape for LGBT people
for decades to come. Over the past twenty years, federal courts have
applied Title VII and other federal sex discrimination laws to prohibit
discrimination based on a person’s sexual orientation or gender
identity. Millions of LGBT people now rely on those federal
protections, and countless businesses across the country have changed
their policies to protect LGBT workers. A Supreme Court decision
reversing these established protections would be catastrophic for LGBT
people and disruptive for businesses, who would face a patchwork of
conflicting state laws.
Today’s
decision by the Court also underscores the urgency of passing federal
and state laws that expressly prohibit discrimination based on sexual
orientation or gender identity, which have overwhelming public support.
It is time to add these protections to our nation’s laws, to ensure
that no person is denied employment, housing or access to public
accommodations simply because of who they are.”
The cases are: R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes v. EEOC and Aimee Stephens, Bostock v. Clayton County, and Altitude Express, Inc. v. Zarda.