Bostock v. Clayton County

**Bostock v. Clayton County: LGBTQ+ Workers Win Protection** Gerald Bostock was fired from his job with Clayton County, Georgia, after joining a gay softball league. He sued, claiming he was terminated because of his sexual orientation. His case was combined with two similar cases involving transgender workers who were also fired after revealing their gender identity. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of these workers in June 2020. The Court decided that firing someone for being gay or transgender counts as illegal sex discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The justices explained that you cannot discriminate against someone for being gay or transgender without taking their biological sex into account, which makes it sex discrimination. This decision is significant for workers because it provides federal protection against workplace discrimination for LGBTQ+ employees nationwide. Before this ruling, workers in many states had no legal protection if they were fired, harassed, or treated unfairly because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Now, LGBTQ+ workers can file discrimination complaints with federal agencies and courts just like other protected groups, giving them important legal tools to fight workplace discrimination.