US SC bars discrimination against LGBTQ employees, Trump says 'powerful'

In a landmark ruling, the US Supreme Court on Monday delivered a judgment ruling the federal laws barring workplace discrimination against LGBT employees. The 6-3 decision is represented as the biggest moment for LGBTQ rights since the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015 in the country.

As per the ruling, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbids employers from discriminating against the employees on the basis of sex as well as race, colour, national origin, and religion. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote for the court, “An employer who fires an individual for being homosexual or transgender fires that person for traits or actions it would not have questioned in members of different sex. Sex plays a necessary and undisguisable role in the decision, exactly what Title VII forbids." According to international reports, the outcome of this ruling is expected to impact around 8.1 million LGBT workers across the country. 

Meanwhile, speaking to the reporters during his daily briefings at the White House, US President Donald Trump called the US Supreme Court's ruling "powerful." He said, "They have ruled and we live with the decision." 

Read: EU official criticizes Polish campaign targeting LGBT people

Trump rolls back protection for LGBTQ+ patients

On June 12, the Trump administration announced the rollback of Obama-era regulation protecting transgender persons from discrimination while receiving health care. According to reports, the policy that was rolled does not only discriminate but also required robust language translation services. As per the new version of the policy, the US Health Department will “return to the government’s interpretation of sex discrimination, which, as per the plain meaning of the word ‘sex’ is determined as male or female in biology”. Meanwhile, the Trump administration had also stated that that federal civil rights law does not protect trans people from discrimination at work. 

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Under the Obama-era policy, they had prevented hospitals and healthcare providers from discriminating against transgender patients and women seeking abortions. A hospital was able to perform gender-transition procedures such as hysterectomies if the facility provided that kind of treatment for other medical conditions. It had upheld the anti-discrimination section of the Affordable Care Act that prohibits sex discrimination in healthcare but does not use the term “gender identity”.

Read: US: Justices rule LGBT people protected from job discrimination

Read: Biden slams Trump for rolling back protection to LGBTQ+ patients, going back on progress