Bostock v Clayton County (2020)
How equal is equal enough?
Gerald Bostock was fired from his job after joining a gay softball league; previously the law would have looked the other way, since before 2020 a worker could be fired simply for being part of the LGBT community. However, a person was unable to fire someone “because of sex”, which was established in 1964. This case puts into question just how far the term sex can go.
Breakdown Verdict.
The verdict was 6-3 in favor of the change, which prohibited firing an employee for their sexual orientation. The 3 dissenting (disagreeing) judges argued that this issue involved writing a new law, which was not their job.
Result Going Forward.
This case and verdict goes beyond just sexual orientation and challenges a lot of different notions of equality. These include equalized education, healthcare, and housing sectors where sex no longer has a say in the decision making. The only obstacle left between the LGBT community and complete equality is a religious exemption, where churches and certain nonprofits can terminate someone for going against certain values.
Do you agree with the verdict?
83%
17%