Supreme Court Rules Civil Rights Law Protects LGBTQ Workers
The AZ-LGBT Bar celebrates the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 15, 2020 decision holding that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964—the federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex—also protects employees from discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The Court’s decision, which makes it unlawful to fire someone merely because they are LGBTQ, is the culmination of decades of hard work by advocates fighting to extend the patchwork of rights and protections that currently exist for LGBTQ people. Such advocacy is as important now as ever before, particularly at a time when the Trump administration continues to diminish LGBTQ protections at every turn—including the recent reprehensible reversal of health protections for our trans brothers and sisters.
Indeed, while today’s victory is one critical step in the march toward equal justice for all, it is also a sobering reminder of the long journey that remains in order to secure the full and undeniable civil rights for LGBTQ people and for those in our community who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color. This is why the AZ-LGBT Bar has, from its inception, adopted intersectionality as a core value and has committed to be more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. We again renew our commitment to continue to speak out against and to work to end hate, violence, and systemic racism and oppression, not as necessary corollaries to our mission, but as integral to the objective of full equality for our LGBTQ and BIPOC communities.
The AZ-LGBT Bar celebrates the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 15, 2020 decision holding that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964—the federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex—also protects employees from discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The Court’s decision, which makes it unlawful to fire someone merely because they are LGBTQ, is the culmination of decades of hard work by advocates fighting to extend the patchwork of rights and protections that currently exist for LGBTQ people. Such advocacy is as important now as ever before, particularly at a time when the Trump administration continues to diminish LGBTQ protections at every turn—including the recent reprehensible reversal of health protections for our trans brothers and sisters.
Indeed, while today’s victory is one critical step in the march toward equal justice for all, it is also a sobering reminder of the long journey that remains in order to secure the full and undeniable civil rights for LGBTQ people and for those in our community who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color. This is why the AZ-LGBT Bar has, from its inception, adopted intersectionality as a core value and has committed to be more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. We again renew our commitment to continue to speak out against and to work to end hate, violence, and systemic racism and oppression, not as necessary corollaries to our mission, but as integral to the objective of full equality for our LGBTQ and BIPOC communities.
AZ-LGBT Bar Association Message To Its Members
The AZ LGBT Bar stands in unequivocal support of the Black community in their fight for justice and equality. The month of June marks Pride, a time to celebrate the many strides made in the fight for full LGBTQ equality. Once again, however, we are reminded that the march toward equality and justice has not included all of our community and that the consequences of racism, systemic inequality, and white supremacy are, quite literally, deadly for our Black brothers and sisters.
The AZ LGBT Bar has, from its inception, adopted intersectionality as a core value and has committed to be more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. The AZ LGBT Bar recognizes that neutrality is not an option, and that awareness is not enough. This moment requires that we go further—that we speak out against and make explicit commitments to actionable anti-racism in order to end hate, violence, and systemic racism and oppression, not as necessary corollaries to our mission, but as integral to the objective of full equality for LGBTQ people.
The LGBTQ community knows what it is to resist police brutality and violence. We celebrate June as Pride Month, because it commemorates, in part, our resisting police harassment and brutality at Stonewall in New York City—an effort started and led by Black and Latinx queer and trans individuals. We remember it as a breakthrough moment when we refused to accept humiliation and fear as the price of living fully, freely, and authentically.
Remembering our history, we stand together with those protesters coming together around the country and the world to demand justice and immediate and wide-ranging action, both regarding police brutality and violence towards communities of color, and, more broadly, systemic racism. For too long, Americans have experienced life in unequal ways, whether through policing, healthcare, economic opportunity, education, or the ability to feel safe where they live. It is long past time to address such inequality. We must act, and act in real, concrete ways. The AZ LGBT Bar believes that we can deliver on the promise of living full, free lives, for everyone. We pledge to work toward systemic change to make that promise a reality.
The LGBTQ community understands what it means to be told and treated as if you are less than, as if your lives don’t matter. And today, the AZ LGBT Bar declares explicitly that Black lives matter. Black queer lives matter. Black trans lives matter. And we commit ourselves to the action that those words require.
The AZ LGBT Bar stands in unequivocal support of the Black community in their fight for justice and equality. The month of June marks Pride, a time to celebrate the many strides made in the fight for full LGBTQ equality. Once again, however, we are reminded that the march toward equality and justice has not included all of our community and that the consequences of racism, systemic inequality, and white supremacy are, quite literally, deadly for our Black brothers and sisters.
The AZ LGBT Bar has, from its inception, adopted intersectionality as a core value and has committed to be more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. The AZ LGBT Bar recognizes that neutrality is not an option, and that awareness is not enough. This moment requires that we go further—that we speak out against and make explicit commitments to actionable anti-racism in order to end hate, violence, and systemic racism and oppression, not as necessary corollaries to our mission, but as integral to the objective of full equality for LGBTQ people.
The LGBTQ community knows what it is to resist police brutality and violence. We celebrate June as Pride Month, because it commemorates, in part, our resisting police harassment and brutality at Stonewall in New York City—an effort started and led by Black and Latinx queer and trans individuals. We remember it as a breakthrough moment when we refused to accept humiliation and fear as the price of living fully, freely, and authentically.
Remembering our history, we stand together with those protesters coming together around the country and the world to demand justice and immediate and wide-ranging action, both regarding police brutality and violence towards communities of color, and, more broadly, systemic racism. For too long, Americans have experienced life in unequal ways, whether through policing, healthcare, economic opportunity, education, or the ability to feel safe where they live. It is long past time to address such inequality. We must act, and act in real, concrete ways. The AZ LGBT Bar believes that we can deliver on the promise of living full, free lives, for everyone. We pledge to work toward systemic change to make that promise a reality.
The LGBTQ community understands what it means to be told and treated as if you are less than, as if your lives don’t matter. And today, the AZ LGBT Bar declares explicitly that Black lives matter. Black queer lives matter. Black trans lives matter. And we commit ourselves to the action that those words require.
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The mission of the Arizona LGBT Bar Association is to provide a strong leadership presence of and for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons in the Arizona legal profession and in the community at large. We are committed to community, visibility, and equality through education, legal advocacy, and participation in political, civic, and social activities. |
