June 15, 2020

Today, Reg Calcagno, Senior Director of Government Affairs at The Center, released the following statement reacting to the Supreme Court of the United States for its ruling related to Title VII and discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

“In the midst of the COVID-19 health crisis and vitally important nationwide demonstrations in support of Black lives and against systemic racism, the Supreme Court’s decisions are heartening and encouraging. Today marks a major victory for equality, as the Court has ruled that companies don’t have a right to discriminate against LGBTQ people in the workplace. This decision is consistent with what decades of precedent have already told us: that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people have the right to show up to work as their whole and true selves. The historic decision says that LGBTQ people are, and should be, protected from discrimination under federal law.

But our work is not finished. Even with today’s decision, Black LGBTQ people will still face disproportionate discrimination across their lives. At every level, we need to address the racism that perpetuates discrimination and violence against Black people—and all people of color, including those who are LGBTQ—even when such discrimination and violence are formally prohibited by law. Until our laws remedy systemic racism and inequality, and our culture catches up to those laws, our movement’s pursuit of LGBTQ equality is far from done.

Today’s decision is an important step forward. It is a powerful reminder of how much work is left to do, and how critical that work remains.”