The ruling by the United States Supreme Court to legalize gay marriage by striking down state laws that ban same-sex unions is a landmark decision for our country. The ruling will have a huge impact on not only same-sex marriage, but also on other same-sex family issues and rights. However, despite the ruling, there are still certain rights and protections that gays and lesbians do not have. For example, did you know that in most states gay and lesbian individuals do not have protection from being fired simply because of their sexual orientation?
The same is true on a national level, where there aren’t any federal nondiscrimination laws in place, either. In fact, just 22 states, plus the District of Columbia, have laws in place that protect against this kind of discrimination. That means, in most states, if an employer wanted to fire you solely on the basis that you were gay, he or she could do so. According to many reports, this kind of thing is actually happening to gays and lesbians all over the country on a regular basis. Because of that fact, many in the LGBT community are pushing for new or changed legislation that would give gays and lesbians workplace rights, which would prevent them from being fired for sexual orientation.
To that end, many activists are pushing to expand Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which passed in 1964. That act protects individuals from workplace discrimination based on their race, sex, religion, color or nationality. Those pushing for this expansion argue that Title VII should already protect gays and lesbians from discrimination in the workplace. On the plus side, now that same-sex marriage is legal many believe that that ruling will also help lead to change in workplace discrimination policies in order to protect gays and lesbians.
It will be interesting to see what progress is made on this issue going forward, but for now the Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex marriage is a positive step forward. Meanwhile, if you have been fired or mistreated at work due to any form of discrimination then you need to contact an experienced Chicago discrimination attorney. At the Law Office of Mitchell A. Kline in Chicago we fight for all workers’ rights and see that you receive justice if you have experienced discrimination. Don’t be a victim without standing up for your rights. Call us today at 312-558-1454, or click here to contact us online.