U.S. Supreme Court Ruling: Triumph for LGBT Rights
June 16, 2020 - Amy Bonomi, PhD and Amanda Guinot Talbot, PhD
The month of June marks a point of pride for Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Trans (LGBT) people and communities. The significance of June is linked to the Stonewall Riots, a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations by the LGBT community following a police raid on June 28, 1969 of the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in New York City’s Greenwich Village. The Stonewall Riots served as the catalyst for the gay rights movement in the United States and globally.
Given June’s significance in LGBT history, it is fitting, then, that on June 15, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court enacted a landmark decision to prohibit discrimination against LGBT people in the workplace. The decision, Bostock v. Clayton County, clarifies this prohibition, "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 a different sex. Sex plays a necessary and undisguisable role in the decision, exactly what Title VII forbids."
The Women’s Leadership Institute (WLI) at Michigan State University celebrates the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to protect LGBT people and communities. The WLI works to ignite women leaders and create equity for all. This means supporting, educating, partnering, and standing with women and allies. The pursuit of justice and protections against discriminations at social identity points—including LGBT identity—is a critical component of leadership and work we must do together.
WLI looks forward to continuing to advance equity for women and allies through leadership curricula and networking opportunities; please join us on September 9th and 10th for our special programs focused on leadership, health and equity.
Amy Bonomi and Amanda Guinot Talbot on behalf of the WLI Executive Board:
Margaret Dimond
Celia Ebert
Carolyn Jackson
Alejandra Loaiza-Delgado
Gloria Santona
Christine Mason Soneral
Ann Tomlanovich